"It Was Time to Use Our Voices"
The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article about the role of college presidents in the age of Trump that featured Mariko Silver.
Centrally, the article addressed how college presidents must balance "advocating for issues important to their campuses" and "respecting a presidential administration that may be on the opposite side."
The Inquirer gave the letter to the president-elect spearheaded by President Silver as one example of several that have circulated colleges, addressing issues from undocumented students to climate change. The letter, which asked the president-elect to "condemn and work to prevent the harassment, hate, and acts of violence" has been signed by nearly 200 college presidents, including more than a dozen in the Philadelphia-area.
"In moments that are inflection points, it is important to take a stand...College and university presidents may not always feel like they are people in positions of power, but in fact we are powerful voices, and we felt it was time to use our voices." President Silver to the Philadelphia Inquirer
The paper reported that the presidents who originated the letters "felt compelled to speak out as a group with hope that their carefully worded statements would carry more weight."