A common misconception of higher education is that it takes place in an “ivory tower,” separated from the reality of human life. Unfortunately, there is often hostility toward scholars; in the United States alone, there have been discussions of banning American research projects involving Chinese scientists and of cutting funding for political reasons. I spoke with Pomona College professor Alana Felton and Pitzer College professor Emily Matteson to uncover experiences with surveillance and censorship in our own academic communities.
