Student Petitions Yale for Exclusion Coordinators

The Yale College Council on Dec. 4 formally approved the creation of a campus-wide ‘Exclusion Coordinator’, with sub-coordinators in all 12 residential colleges, after a 6-hour debate about how inclusive inclusiveness must be.

While the Council President acknowledged that some students might be confused by the YCC’s decision, she said that they were won over by the petitioner’s arguments. “Ultimately, to be inclusive and welcoming to all people we have to embrace those who are exclusionary. Any other spirit is betraying our mandate of inclusiveness. We look forward to the spirit of exclusiveness becoming part of diverse the tapestry that is Yale.”

The petitioner, Lirpa Loof ‘10, said that to deny the forces of similarity and separation were “anathema to the diversity aims of Yale. Without good examples of the homophobe, the racist, the bigot, and the religiously intolerant, how are students to feel smugly superior to others?”

Loof also presented evidence that at the last “Similarity Seminar” over 1500 students attended, although some attributed this to the “Free Beer Here!” posters scattered all over campus. Still, Loof was encouraged by the results.

“We’re for homogeneity and sameness, not for all this diversity crap. And there are a lot of other people who think that way. It’s a very diverse group of exclusionary people.”

One student at the meeting said that although initially skeptical, he was won over by Loof’s persuasive arguments. “It’s a really powerful argument: to be truly inclusive, you have to include exclusiveness. If you exclude exclusiveness, you’re being exclusive and failing in your mission. So I look forward to embracing my exclusive brothers, and maybe even joining them as a show of support for their exclusive ideals.”