On December 5, 2023, presidents at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania came together to testify at Congress regarding their response to campus protests. Antisemitic incidents have occurred on multiple college campuses since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and these events have greatly affected the safety of learning environments.
Former Harvard President Claudine Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and former UPenn President Liz Magill’s testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. CBS News streamed this hearing where the committee Chairwoman, Ms. Virginia Foxx, overlooked the testament. Each university’s president addressed the discrimination on their campuses and their predictions for what will happen.
The recent hate is due to rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other discriminatory feelings circulating the nation. In her testimony, Dr. Claudine Gay addressed the procedures that Harvard has taken to combat prejudice and preserve security in the community, including increased security measures, reporting channels and support services, rejection of antisemitism, and denouncement of any trace on campus and focus on preserving free expression while combating prejudice and protecting the community.
Dr. Sally Kornbluth described the efforts at MIT, including the devotion to solving societal problems through STEM education and research, commitment to a welcoming and inclusive environment while upholding free expression, increased police presence, more focus on safety and inclusivity and support for faculty, and student initiatives to counter hate.
Dr. Liz Magill similarly addressed UPenn’s efforts, including condemnation of antisemitism, investigations and disciplinary proceedings against violators, action plans to combat antisemitism and resources for affected individuals.
However, there has been controversy over these elite school systems. For instance, Harvard has classes teaching about race, scientific racism and anti-racism. People have expressed concerns about Dr. Gay and the university’s initial response to the war between Israel and Hamas. The president stated how the ethicality of antisemitism and Islamophobia was dependent upon the situation in which such events occurred. This arguable statement, along with her plagiarism accusations, led to her eventual resignation.
The testimony provided some solutions to combat the growing hate, including the need for additional funding for the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, ensuring adequate staff, and investigatory capacity and support for the US national strategy to counter antisemitism. Still, there have been many arguments from the officials during the hearing revealing how there have been no direct measures that any of the universities took to combat hate crimes.
“I think it’s concerning that leaders of such large, prominent and influential organizations are not more outspoken about such an important issue, as it causes me to question my safety within a large crowd or under a large institution,” Richard Montgomery High School sophomore Grace Li said.
The future of our society depends largely on higher educational systems. Universities have an important role in shaping the future, with their ability to develop leaders with moral clarity and courage, providing an inclusive environment and the need to teach their students right from wrong. The disputed topic of the spread of antisemitism, the supposed use of “free speech,” and the lack of data on the percentage of conservative professors at these schools only cause further distress. The importance of balancing free speech with preventing harassment and discrimination was apparent during the hearing, and the colleges seem to be taking no action toward trying to settle the problem.
Although antisemitic feelings are still prevalent around the nation, there are actions that students can take to address concerns and promote further academic collaboration.
“I think it’s important that we acknowledge the separation of Judaism and Jewish people from the actions of Israel and our political stances,” Richard Montgomery sophomore Sophie Zheng said.
Article Written by Jessica Yao of Richard Montgomery High School
Graphic by Meera Menon of Thomas S. Wootton High School