There was a Wall Street Journal article last night discussing last year's protests at Yale, and the controversy regarding whether Calhoun College at Yale should be renamed (Calhoun was a supporter of slavery). The article then points out that Elihu Yale, its founder, was not just a supporter of slavery, but directly transported slaves himself:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-college-formerly-known-as-yale-1470698364
So what should Yale students do with this knowledge? Here are some options:
1. Go all in with protesting, and rename Yale itself!
2. Realize that renaming Yale will devalue their degree and stick to meaningless acts of protest, like renaming Calhoun College.
3. Realize that protesting historical figures to the point of removing their names, even though their views were mainstream at the time, suggests a lack of maturity not befitting elite college students.
4. Keep the names as is, but add historical context about their behaviors that are no longer considered acceptable today.
Any other options?
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