Introduction

Monica Almeida/The New York Times

Free speech and the willingness to discuss uncomfortable ideas is under threat on college campuses where “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” are becoming increasingly common. Even President Obama has raised concerns about university students being “coddled and protected from different points of view.” And recently, a provocative essay in a Wesleyan University student newspaper nearly led to the demise of the 150-year-old publication.

What does this say about this generation of young people and what they will become as future leaders of this country?