In this debate, several people have emphasized a need to empathize with or at least accept the experiences that others claim to have. However, it's not just the Gargoyle editors who have to try to make this happen. I don't think the other side has really made it clear exactly what these "experiences" are. As far as I know, very few concrete examples of intolerant behavior at Uni have been raised over the several months that this controversy has lasted. In fact, I can only think of one example that has been mentioned: when some culture comes up in history class, many students look to a particular student of that culture, as if he or she represents an entire group's views or perspectives. But no one looks at me when we bring up China or Chinese immigrants in history (except maybe if I'm having a coughing spasm at the same time). Similarly, I never look at other people in this rather awkward manner. I simply haven't seen this happen at Uni, to me or anyone else. Of course, previous comments have claimed that this editorial itself is an example of intolerant behavior. Unfortunately, this is obviously not the root of the issue--if there is barely any intolerance to begin with, then there's nothing wrong with saying so, which is what the editorial does. So I invite anyone to kill two birds with one stone and explain why the minorities in question feel uncomfortable. That said, being part of a minority* myself, I can understand the need for a place for minorities to discuss the unique issues they face. Based on what I know, I believe that most of these issues stem from outside Uni but may have effects on school. I personally struggle with deciding how much I am American and how much I am Chinese. Minorities have legitimate (and possibly many) special needs, but we shouldn't confuse that with rampant discrimination and intolerance at school. I think I'm keeping a pretty open mind, but I just don't see the evidence right now. If you guys want to discuss more facets of this controversy, I encourage you to visit the Uni forum for it: https://www.uni.uiuc.edu/bbs/ (you'll have to scroll down--the direct URL is kind of long) The discussion has not been very coherent so far, but it's another place to raise issues that you would like addressed. * I realize that at Uni, Chinese make up a sufficiently large portion of the students so that most of the feeling of minority is lost. However, that doesn't mean we don't face our own challenges, such as the assumption that we don't understand or respect the rules in America (not at Uni, of course). Regarding the exclusivity of the student minority group, it seems hypocritical to demand that others accept your own minority's disadvantages while rejecting the notion that other minorities also face significant adversity. P.S. There are a few things I disagree with in the editorial. For example, I agree with Mr. Vaughn in that the Day of Silence shows very little about the level of tolerance at Uni. Some people participate out of a fleeting interest or mostly for fun. I just don't think that Uni's environment is hostile to ethnic/racial minorities. After all, it's not a school's duty to provide a culturally tailored education to each individual student. P.P.S. Mike and Frankie beat me to this topic as I was writing.