My thoughts on the arrest of the 17 students at Notre Dame

I’ve been closely monitoring the reports of pro-Palestinian protests at various U.S. university campuses, a topic widely covered by Korean media. My interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not new; it was the subject of my History EE, focusing on the Balfour Declaration and its ongoing implications. Yet, I hadn’t expected such protests at Notre Dame, considering its predominantly white, Catholic demographic and a general perception that Catholics may empathize more with Jews.

However, I was taken aback today by a post from @occupationfreend, an Instagram account advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, which revealed the arrest of 17 Notre Dame students involved in peaceful protests. This news was both surprising and disappointing, especially considering the university’s decision to arrest these protesters. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deeply contentious, involving severe accusations and historical grievances, making it a hotbed for unilateral judgments rather than balanced discussion.

The university’s choice to arrest these students might have been seen as a measure to control the controversy and maintain campus safety, reminiscent of recent events like the administrative building takeover at Columbia University. Nevertheless, this approach, while perhaps simpler, contradicts what Notre Dame stands for. As President Obama put it during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the essence of America—and by extension, its academic institutions—is the freedom to express: “to say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door.”

Today, I feel a profound disappointment with Notre Dame. When I applied in 2022, the application challenged me to think about what I would fight for. Since being accepted, I’ve strived to embody the resilient spirit of the Fighting Irish, a journey marked by both failures and the supportive community under the Dome. Yet, reflecting on today’s events, I find myself questioning if we genuinely uphold the ideals we claim to represent. Are we really the Fighting Irish, champions of dialogue and understanding, or have we strayed from these values?