The Spire

Ashwin Prabaharan ’26 and Viveca Stucke ’26

Chief Opinions Editor & Opinions Editor

As the semester comes to an end, we believe it is prudent to reflect on how we have seen Holy Cross navigate through some of the most complex and pressing issues we all collectively face and take part in. As Opinions staff writers of our campus newspaper, we are immensely thankful for this rewarding opportunity that enables us to bring many different perspectives to a wide-reaching forum for students to participate in. These aspects of any campus are crucial in fostering ideas, perspectives, and productive dialogue, which can be something constructive towards not only our academic journeys but in our personal development.

College campuses possess an intrinsic and unique ability to bring about political discourse unmatched in other facets of our lives. For the most part, students get the chance to dive into differing worlds of thought across a wonderful array of fields. We can interact and work with giants in any given field, listen to lectures on contemporary topics, and take part in spirited debates. This opportunity is unparalleled outside of this bubble we call home for four years. We have had the privilege of attending several fantastic events where we not only learned more about a given topic, but were able to find it realistically applicable to ourselves. Speaking on behalf of other students, we’d like to thank the academic departments and programs here on campus for these opportunities. 

However, disagreement, pressure, and outcasting are hidden aspects of any college campus, and Holy Cross is not an exception to this. The degree to which this is true widely varies, and administrations have proven capable of limiting the scope of these negative characteristics. This, then, begs the question: Can Holy Cross students tolerate contrasting points on an issue if campuses are designed to challenge and educate us in a well-rounded manner given this context? We believe Holy Cross has not effectively succeeded in this. 

Take for example the current conflict in the Middle East. No one can say with an ounce of sincerity that this issue is black and white. One of history’s most complex and convoluted disputes cannot be possibly boiled down to just a few talking points small enough to fit on a poster board for any passerby to fully understand the breadth of it. Yet, it appears to be depicted exactly as such. The Social Justice Collective, a campus advocacy group on behalf of the Palestinian cause, erected a flag display on the Hoval adorned by several boards, in which one reads “From the River to the Sea, the Palestinians will be Free.” This slogan, as deemed by the Anti-Defamation League, calls for the elimination of the Jewish state, and as a result the Jewish people, in a genocidal fashion. The academic panel held by the College to discuss the conflict on October 25 devolved into a screaming match between professors and students, pitting community members against one another while only serving to marginalize those unable to effectively voice their opinions.

These actions only reflect the worst in us. They espouse and empower, very well, this intrinsic intuition that relegates us to our ideological positions. As students, we were truly revolted by the board put out by the Collective, and appalled by the College’s ignorance in this matter, not only permitting the placement of the board but its continued stay in a public space. The ignorance displayed in giving space for such a statement should concern every person on this campus who commits themselves to tolerance and fighting against hate speech within our community. 

The problem, however, does not simply reside in this aspect, but rather in how one would be able to publicly challenge such issues without finding themselves ostracized and marginalized for doing so. Students and groups who seem to harbor positions that defy mainstream beliefs on campus find themselves to be outcasts without being given a chance to present their own views. When opposing opinions are presented, they are often met with hate and ignorance. This is something best exemplified by the campus treatment of the Fenwick Review publication. The Review stands for traditional, Catholic principles and seeks to write on related topics for readers to engage with. Though we may not agree with the Review’s positions and proposals, we take the messages published as an opportunity to view other opposing perspectives. We can recognize and positively reckon with the many differences we all share. This is something that we cannot escape. Campuses were never meant to be a home for conformity and uniformity in anything, whether it be our political beliefs or our identities.

We thrive because of our varying backgrounds, allowing for a well-rounded, eye-opening education. It is an incredible opportunity to have where we can form our beliefs and intellect. Instead, we see students rip up copies, harass and marginalize various writers, and post hateful and intelligible messages on social media platforms.  A disagreement of opinions is not justification for a hateful response, no matter what side you are on. As Holy Cross students, our mission is to be for and with others. From the outset during Orientation, this message is ingrained in us, reflected in our courses, and built into the very foundation of our community. However, we have clearly deviated from that. 

There is so much more we have to understand about each other that will never be brought to light if we simply ostracize and personally attack those who disagree with us. Our dialogue should be formed articulately, augmenting the quality of our arguments to further ensure that our discussions are constructive. Failing to do so only means we are simply wasting four years at Holy Cross–an era characterized by how we are surrounded by intelligent, hardworking, and different peers who seek to support one another. 

In closing, we urge you in the strongest terms to speak for yourself and use every resource at your disposal to do so while maintaining a greater degree of tolerance and cordiality towards those who oppose our views. Please feel free to contact the Spire as well to voice an opinion you feel strongly about, on a forum where words can foster spirited debate if given the chance. We are students, and while this campus may be populated with contrasting views from us, they are just that. They are not, they cannot be our enemies. We can be the catalysts to meaningful dialogue if we manage to set aside our blinders and engage with one another as simply students, not enemies. 

Copy edited by Lilly Baumfeld