I think the New Yorker decided to do an article on Oberlin because several things happened in a short period of time: the food issue which I think is a non-issue, the black student demands, and the disclosures about Karega, the assistant professor. Oberlin is historically significant as the first school to regularly admit women and blacks as students, so this might add to the readership of the article.
It troubles me about the black student demands because the college has tried to do what it can do financially to accommodate these students, and it provides a large amount of financial aid to them. But, if they are unhappy, the president said they will try to meet some of the demands. Seven hundred students signed in support of the demands, but this also means that 2200 did not. They are right that the school is a capitalist institution as is all of the other institutions I know of in the US… I suppose they could attend college in Cuba and North Korea, but it probably would not be as nice, and those colleges would probably not honor their demands.
I think it’s true that a white cannot fully understand what is like to be a black in this country, just as a non-soldier cannot know what it is like to serve 3 or 4 tours of duty in Iraq. But a white can serve as their ally, and at the same time try to understand what they are going through. They should not be questioned for doing so. Obviously, there are mental health professionals, white and black, who try to understand and treat the psychological problems.
I think the article reflects that faculty members, the administration, and fellow students are having to deal with students who want trigger warnings, do not want to hear statements which question their opinions, or are contrary to a position that because they are of a certain identity they know best., There is frustration. I think there is oversensitivity by 18 to 22 year olds who are just starting out. There will be challenges a lot worse than what happens at Oberlin. More to follow.