Ahmadinejad at Choate: A look at tolerance and openness in One School’s community
By Livy Loving ’11
News Reporter
On Monday, September 24, protesters and observers gathered at Columbia University to hear President Ahmadinejad of Iran address the student body. The President proceeded to make controversial statements that upset many individuals at Columbia, and twenty groups on the Columbia campus joined a speak-out scheduled on the day of the event. “It was a huge waste of time, and I think it was a huge mistake that they invited him,” William Nosal, Columbia ’10, stated in Columbia’s student newspaper, The Columbia Spectator. However, some students at Columbia felt that the event fit with the mission of the University. “While I really disagree with a lot of his political policies, I think it’s important to invite people like the president to come and speak,” said Clare Kelley, Barnard College ’11, in a newscast after the event.
Students Don’t Always Agree
Choate students in the past have expressed disagreement with speakers’ comments, for example last year after an anti-war documentary was shown at a special program. An opinion piece that ran in that week’s News stated that “the administration at Choate has the responsibility to remain relatively neutral on the subject—to present both sides,” and conveyed the opinion that showing the documentary was a breach of that responsibility.
Reverend Trister, Head of Campus Ministry, said “I think as a school, it’s very important for us to be tolerant of all political ideas. If you invite someone to speak, you have to be willing to listen to what that person says.”
Having a speaker like Ahmadinejad speak at Choate “would be no different from Columbia,” says Reverend Trister. “I think that some people would get very upset with him, as happened at Columbia. But it’s appropriate for a school like Choate to expose students to all sides of the argument.”
“I think students would ask difficult questions, but that’s what being at Choate is all about,” commented Amanda Nielsen ’08.
Openness Prevails
In his speech, President Ahmadinejad expressed his belief that “sufficient research” is still needed before discussing the well-documented event of the Holocaust. He also claimed that Iran does not have the “phenomenon” of homosexuals.
“As Americans, we need to be open to hearing the opinions of foreign leaders, no matter what that entails,” said Cason Crane ’11.
“Religion would play a factor, given his statements that the Holocaust never happened, and many students could be very upset with him,” stated Reverend Trister.
Indeed, some students at Columbia who attended the event felt that with a speech like Ahmadinejad’s, it was hard to separate politics from religion. “Politics and religion have merged into one thing,” says Rev. Trister. “Islam is a religion, and so is radical or fundamentalist Islam.”
The event consisted of an introduction by President Bollinger of Columbia and speech by Ahmadinejad in Lerner Hall. More students gathered on the South Lawn at Columbia to watch a large television screen depicting Ahmadinejad while he gave his speech.
A Tolerant Community
Chris Bakes ’10 believes that Columbia’s location in the middle of New York City ended up “giving the event more media exposure.”
“It’s a college—a center of learning. Those who actually had an interest in hearing him speak were those who attended. If Choate were to have something similar, I would definitely attend,” Bakes said.
“Every student on campus should be free to disagree with a speaker on any issue,” said Madeleine Foote ’11. “However, this is a New England boarding school, after all, so more conservative political views are frowned upon. But if he were invited to speak at Choate, I would drop everything to go.”
Some Choate teachers have worked on broadening Choaties’ minds to appreciate all points of view. “I think that every class in this department tries to educate students to see a balanced perspective, to see that there are two sides to the stories and understand the complexities of historical events,” said Reverend Trister. “That’s why we teach World History, so people can get a very broad prospective on world issues.”
“As a forward-minded community, Choate should be open minded enough to accept a speaker like Ahmadinejad if the opportunity were to arise,” said Crane.
Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe (left) and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran (right) shake hands. How would students react to such a sight at Choate? PHOTO/Alireza Sotakbar
