Davidson’s Ukraine Flag and The Question of Responsible College Reactions To Politics

By Stephen Walker '26

February 9, 2024


         The war in Ukraine had become a permanent story by the time I arrived at Davidson. Everyone knew about it and saw the same viral stories from time to time. There was an expert on the situation who came to campus to speak last semester, but that was an academic event and the issue as a whole has largely failed to deeply penetrate campus culture these last two years. Over this period, right beneath the American flag on Davidson’s flag pole flew the yellow and blue Ukrainian flag, an unwavering symbol of support for the far-away country. As I returned this semester I found the flag had vanished. No statement had been put out. No reason for the disappearance was made apparent to anybody. The stars and stripes fly alone again.


          The problem I see with an institution like Davidson making statements as clear as flying another country's flag with our own is twofold. Davidson is a place dedicated to courageous intellectual inquiry meant to prepare students for lives of substance. But when the school leaves this symbol of clear support for a faraway war waged in an environment much different from our homeland, it sends a message to students about what types of opinions are acceptable and what types are not. Rather than allowing students to engage in research and dialogue with one another to uncover the truth about the matter, they are told by this symbolic gesture to conform to the whims of those favoring war. Whims that many believe don’t seem to benefit either us or this faraway nation at all and which don’t reflect the conflicted public opinion of the voters who grant our leaders their power. There is also the question of respect. It is standard for flags of different nations to be flown on different poles. Clumping these nations together demonstrates a blatant disregard for the tradition of respecting the sanctity of our flag and the sovereignty of the flag of another nation whose flag flies below ours. This message of disrespect for our own traditions and disregard for the complexity of international conflict is not one which allows students to better prepare for lives of “leadership and service.” This stunt set the tone for blind acceptance of authority and an embodiment of the values of the hive mind rather than encouragement for students to form unique, nuanced opinions.


 Could this flag have come down sooner should students have questioned the motives of the institution? Should they defy a clear symbol of authority in their lives? No one wanted to find out what that would lead to and all resorted to the silence which has become a standard response in times of political uncertainty. When Davidson takes clear political stances it makes students uncomfortable with asking tough questions and having uncomfortable but important conversations. No one knows why the flag came down, and the problem the stunt posed will likely never be addressed and the message it implanted in the minds of those it affected will never be undone.


 Going forward, will other flags be put up? Last semester, students raised flags and other symbols of support for Palestine. They were all taken down almost immediately. What about a Trump, Biden, or Kennedy flag? I doubt any of those would make it that long. When the college makes political statements with its flagpole it's acceptable. When students make political statements meant to stimulate conversation it’s not. In the future instances of students following the school’s example, will Davidson invoke its vague exceptions clause to allowed speech and expression which outlaws all things deemed to be “otherwise directly incompatible with the functioning of the College ''? It would be a clear double standard should the college be allowed to make and retract extremely public and symbolically significant political statements while students get silenced for following its lead. I was disappointed they put the flag up in the first place, but even more so when it went down in the quiet of December break without a hint of acknowledgement from anybody. 



Stephen Walker is a class of 2026 Political Science and English Double Major at Davidson College.

The latest FIRE Campus Free Speech Rankings show work remains at Davidson

September 11, 2025
DFTD Newsletter 9/11/2025 The latest Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) survey results are here. While this year’s results show some consistency with previous years, they also highlight that significant work remains to build a campus culture where open dialogue and a wide range of viewpoints are welcomed at Davidson College. A concerning 60% of students remain uncomfortable disagreeing with a professor on controversial political topics in class, and nearly as many (58%) hesitate in written assignments. One in four students openly self-censor while interacting with professors at least a couple times a week, while 48% report feeling uncomfortable in classroom discussions. Outside the classroom, the problem worsens , where 70% of students are too afraid to express unpopular opinions on social media. Equally troubling are students’ attitudes toward disrupting speech. More than a third, or 37%, of Davidson students think it’s acceptable to shout down a speaker, 19% would block others from attending an event, and 15% condone violence to stop a campus speech. These numbers suggest that, despite Davidson’s reputation for civility, many students believe intimidation is an acceptable tool for undermining the very notion of open discourse. While trust in the administration has improved and fewer students now doubt the College will defend them from censorship, significant skepticism remains. 34% of students believe peers could be reported for expressing controversial ideas, and a similar number, 37%, believe the same for professors. Davidson has made important strides, but the culture of open expression between students and professors is still fragile. The FIRE survey underscores the importance of freedom of expression in more than policies on paper. It requires a campus climate where students feel safe to speak their minds. DFTD calls on the College to take the following concrete steps to strengthen free speech and viewpoint diversity at Davidson; Adopt a policy of Institutional Neutrality whereby the College and Departments do not take ideological or political positions Expand ideological diversity among faculty, staff, and trustees Make the College’s Commitment to Freedom of Expression Statement a key part of New Student Orientation Conduct a thorough review of all policies and procedures related to speech With these actions, Davidson College has the opportunity to lead by example, showing how a liberal arts education can prepare students to engage thoughtfully and confidently in the world beyond campus.

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You get an A! And you get an A! On campuses this fall, some students might feel like they’ve wandered into their own Oprah episode, except the prize is a transcript filled with top marks.

Announcing Major Gift from Dr. William Winkenwerder '76

August 15, 2025
DFTD Newsletter 8/19/2025 Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse is honored to announce a multi-year, major gift from Dr. William Winkenwerder. This generous commitment will ensure that the Davidson community can engage directly with leading voices who shape global affairs and national security policy. A 1976 graduate of Davidson College and former member of the Davidson College Board of Trustees (2015-2022), Dr. Winkenwerder is a nationally recognized physician and health care executive who served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs under President George W. Bush and as a senior leader at the Department of Health and Human Services under President Ronald Regan. His long-standing dedication to public service and his commitment to robust, open discussion on critical issues of foreign policy have been a hallmark of his career. Dr. Winkenwerder’s support will bolster DFTD’s programs by creating the Winkenwerder Policy Series on the Middle East , allowing students to welcome distinguished guests exploring some of today’s most challenging global issues. In collaboration with students and faculty, this series of speakers will offer the Davidson campus and community the chance to hear firsthand perspectives from experts in US Defense Policy, Middle East relations, and international policy at large. This transformative gift from Dr. Winkenwerder will enable vital conversations that foster open discourse and inspire Davidson students and the campus community to explore global issues with curiosity and purpose.
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