The decision made by some Carleton frosh leaders to wear “fuck safe space” t-shirts was inappropriate and unproductive.
Photos were posted on social media earlier this week of orientation leaders wearing the t-shirts at off-campus gatherings. The student leaders later apologized and said the shirts weren’t meant to mock the idea of safe spaces, but to protest a school policy that prohibited them from swearing during frosh week activities.
If students legitimately want to effect change within a policy, wearing a t-shirt to a party isn’t an effective strategy. It would have been far more productive for the orientation leaders to take their concerns directly to the administration.
The shirts not only failed to address the no-swearing policy, but also attacked the concept of safe spaces under a blanket statement.
It’s disturbing that these individuals — who are meant to be representatives of their school and role models to incoming first-years — would act in such an ignorant and immature manner.
It’s concerning that Carleton’s safe space policy is over 10 years old. Universities must properly educate students on topics like safe spaces, and policies should evolve to address new concerns and greater understandings of these issues.
At the end of the day, being a frosh leader is a choice. Since the entire point of safe spaces is that people think hard about what they say, these students should have thought twice before printing the shirts.
Tags
Carleton, Frosh Week, orientation leaders, safe spaces
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