HANOVER, N.H. (WCAX) – The U.S. Education Secretary was at Dartmouth College Wednesday learning from students. The visit comes as the Big Green works to find common ground on divisive issues.
Dartmouth Dialogues is a new initiative on campus to help the college community engage on difficult topics where they may disagree. The topic on Wednesday was the Middle East, focusing on the October 7th massacre in Israel. U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona helped lead the discussion, though, he mostly listened and took notes.
Campuses, in general, could be doing a better job at addressing these issues, you know, Dartmouth included in that,” said sophomore Yasmine Abouali.
Dartmouth largely avoided heated protests seen at other colleges across the country. College officials say multiple forums on campus in the week that followed the terrorist attack likely helped students express themselves in a safe, controlled environment.
“We need to be intentional about respecting differences as a matter of fact learning and growing from different perspectives, and that is what our universities are designed for,” Cardona said.
His visit comes at a time when the country as a whole seems more polarized than ever no matter the topic. “Sadly, I think in this country there are some who are intentional about stoking divisions,” he said.
Muhammad Faisal Azizi is a senior who grew up in Afghanistan. He says talking about divisive topics like the current war in the Middle East needs to be done delicately. “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult but sometimes you have to be careful that you don’t hurt someone’s feeling. We have to act civilized. Asked questions that sound academic and not hostile,” Azizi said.
Dartmouth Dialogues is keeping the conversation going. “I think it is important to talk, so I choose to. I choose to go out of my way to be involved in dialogue when I can,” Abouali said.
At the end of January, the dialogue will continue on campus with a professor from Yale who will be hosting a seminar on emotional intelligence.