News

Yale’s rise in the free speech rankings highlights significant progress in fostering tolerance for diverse speakers and openness on campus. However, challenges remain with administrative support and student attitudes toward protest, showing that while improvements have been made, there's still work to be done. Grant ShanklinAssistant Editor, The BeaconOn September 5th, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released their annual College Free Speech Rankings. These rankings are based on a survey of undergraduates from 257 schools regarding their perceptions and experiences with free speech on campus. Yale not only made one of the largest jumps in the rankings, moving from 234th to 155th, but also outperformed its ...

“It is troubling that someone who has openly endorsed boycotting Israel—and any Muslim who dares to speak to Israel—should be appointed by Yale as an advisor to young students seeking moral guidance.” Tori CookEditor-in-Chief, The BeaconThis month, the University Chaplain’s Office welcomed a new Assistant Muslim Chaplain, Leenah Safi, in conjunction with yesterday’s opening of the new MENA cultural suite.Safi’s appointment comes along with measures taken to ease tensions on campus after the October 7th attacks in Israel and the start of the Israel-Gaza War, and efforts to make Middle Eastern and North African [MENA] students feel more at home on campus. As one student told the Yale Daily News, “the need for a designated MENA sp...

This article provides a comprehensive summary of the origin and escalation of the April 2024 pro-Palestine protests seen on Yale's campus and calls Yale's administration to protect the interests of their students in the face of disruptive protests. Jacob Tyler Assistant Editor, The Beacon When freshly-admitted Yalies begin to rush the campus for Bulldog Days, it’s normal to hear the jubilant cries of triumphant high school seniors whose life-long dream of being admitted to Yale has finally become a reality, the sounds of music played to liven up the campus atmosphere, and the celebrations of family and friends. What is not normal is to hear the cries of students decrying Yale’s investment in “the genocide of the Palestinian people.” However, this year has been abnormal,...

Reflecting on her experience of everyday living downtown, a Yale student residing off campus, who wished to remain anonymous, shared, “I do not feel safe living off campus, period. I live in front of the Green and every day when I head to campus, I feel I have to be on high alert.” Shailen SharmaManaging Editor, The BeaconIn the heart of downtown, where the city lights paint a vivid mosaic upon the towering buildings, a youthful vigor fills the city with life every Thursday night, carrying through the weekend’s final hours. Amidst the pulsating rhythmic beats resonating from the bustling bars and the echoes of late-night laughter lies a dark undercurrent that courses through the city, shaped by incidents of theft, violence, and a fe...

On Wednesday, February 6, former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby debated well-renowned Yale professor Timothy Snyder on whether the US should prioritize Taiwan over Ukraine. Snyder argued in favor of Ukraine and Colby argued in favor of Taiwan. They commented on the current geopolitical situation facing the US on these two fronts. Tori CookEditor-in-Chief, The BeaconOn Wednesday afternoon, Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs Timothy Snyder and former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby debated whether the US should prioritize Taiwan over Ukraine in front of an audience of over 100 Yale students, faculty, and New Haven residents. Colby, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, argued the practical necessity of...

On February 26th, Karl Rove, former Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, addressed Yale students, hosted by the William F. Buckley Jr. Program. He discussed historical challenges within American politics, comparing past adversities to current political discord, and emphasized resilience and the possibility of overcoming current issues. Grant ShanklinAssociate Editor, The BeaconOn February 26th, Karl Rove, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, spoke to a room of roughly 50 students at Yale University as a guest of the William F. Buckley Jr. Program. Drawing on his historical knowledge and experience under the Bush administration, his talk, “If You Think It’s Bad Today, It’s Been Worse Befor...

Robert P. George, Conservative intellectual and professor at Princeton, came to speak to the Buckley Program the necessity of breaking out of “groupthink” in order to achieve a true liberal arts education and overcome the budding challenge of campus illiberalism. Grant Shanklin and Sabrina GuoAssociate Editors, The BeaconElite colleges and universities, especially those among the Ivy League schools, lean noticeably left on the political spectrum, and Yale is no exception. In 2023, 98.4 percent of political contributions by Yale professors went to Democratic-affiliated groups, and in a survey of Princeton’s incoming class of 2026, only about 11.4% would describe themselves as “either somewhat or very right-...