Protests on a massive scale are scheduled to occur across New York City today, as Nov. 17 marks the two-month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement. With Tuesday morning's surprise eviction of protesters from Zuccotti Park, plans are now underway for demonstrations to relocate to City Hall, and even into the subway system (details are at occupywallst.org). How these boisterous crowds behave, and how police respond, will do much to determine the future of this popular uprising. The stakes are high.

At Union Theological Seminary, we stand in full solidarity with the protestors. That's clear to us. As President, however, I'll admit the prospect of my seminarians being in today's events makes me a bit worried and anxious. I want them safe, yet I also know...