Leaders at Macalester College say this is a moment to teach students how to make a difference in a messy world. They've hosted events aimed at reducing the rancor in political discourse and invited officials from different parties to come debate hotly contested issues.

Interim University of Minnesota President Jeff Ettinger has received requests to block speakers from coming to campus, remove faculty members' statements on the conflict or quash protests.

"To me, as the months have gone by, it has reinforced in my mind the notion that a campus needs to try to be an arena of public discourse and try to avoid being one of the participants in it," he said, emphasizing that college should be an open forum.

Bias complaints at the U have more than doubled, with 122 reports filed so far this year. Of them, 42 raised concerns about Israel or antisemitism, while 16 reported bias against Palestine or Islamophobia. Ettinger said the university has boosted security when appropriate.

The U is also working to create a policy that aims to better outline when and how faculty can issue statements on high-profile issues. Members of at least four U departments issued statements on the war, some supporting Israelis and some supporting Palestinians. Some were referenced in a complaint asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate concerns about antisemitism. One drew a rebuke from Republican state lawmakers who noted they would consider the U's response while vetting funding requests.

In the meantime, U faculty are approaching the conflict differently. Some have joined pro-Palestinian rallies and sent letters reaffirming students' right to protest. Others have avoided discussing the war.

Bruno Chaouat, an antisemitism scholar who teaches about the Holocaust, avoids discussing Oct. 7 in class but will talk about it during office hours. That's partially an effort to stay closely on topic, but Chaouat also said, "I was overwhelmed by the event and frankly didn't have words."

"The Holocaust has become extremely difficult to teach," said Chaouat, who previously ran the U's Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. "It is relativized, and there is a trend toward accusing the Jews of monopolizing suffering and victim status."

A pro-Palestinian rally on the U campus earlier this week drew hundreds of people, enough to cover the lawn outside the Coffman Memorial Union. Many people approached by the Star Tribune said they didn't want to talk. Some said they feared retaliation.

Wazwaz suspects many also worry about a scenario where "the whole movement becomes misinterpreted as antisemitism" and harms the effort to get help to the 1.7 million people in Gaza.

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