Should there be differing rules concerning freedom of speech?

Campuses across the country, more specifically Columbia University, Yale University and most recently New York University (NYU) have taken popular news outlets by storm. In a recent New York Times article published last Thursday that first caught the public’s attention, there were over 100 students at Columbia who were arrested after the university brought in the police to clear out an encampment of a pro-Palestinian protest.

Even closer to home, on April 23 at 4 a.m., students pitched tents on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus mall with pro-Palestinian signs. By 6 a.m., university police were sent to the site and explained that students must disperse by 7 a.m. or arrests would be made. Nine people were arrested and booked into the Hennepin County jail on account of refusing to depart the protest site. We interviewed Jasper Nordin, a senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, about his experience with the encampment. He took a stance for what he believed in without knowing how far the news would reach, but he was pleasantly surprised. “I was really anxious in the days leading up to the establishment of the encampment that it would get shut down right away and that no one on campus would care or come out to support it, so it was absolutely incredible to get out of jail to see that like 1000 students had rallied on campus to demand we get released” Nordin said.

While students raise their voices and take a stand against what they believe is wrong, they face the battle between free expression and institutional control. Public universities and colleges are legally obligated to respect students and their constitutional rights.

This is difficult at a private institution which are not necessarily bound by the First Amendment. Although this is the case, many private colleges and universities display themselves as places to have free speech and for students to have the opportunity to freely express themselves. As Columbia, Yale and NYU are private institutions, this is where the line gets blurred between allowing students to express themselves and their emotions and shutting students down to regain control.

These students at Columbia, Yale, NYU and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities are not being heard in typical outlets for expression, which led to these encampments and extreme action of authorities to stop them. Students should be allowed to voice their opinions in a safe environment in which they are being heard and understood. Colleges and universities should take steps towards providing resources and opportunities for students to express their emotions and opinions without fearing backlash and consequences.

In the “Academic Catalog and Handbook” found on the CSB+SJU website, the “Freedom of Protest Policy” section states the following: “The right of peaceful protest within the campus community is permitted. The college retains the right to assure the safety of all individuals, to protect property and to maintain continuity of the educational process. Interference with entry and exit from the college facilities, interruption of classes or damage to property. Where space is used for an authorized college function, whether in a class, an approved meeting, or normal or service-oriented activity, the reasonable regulations established by the person in charge must be respected. Students wishing to conduct a peaceful protest of demonstration must do so in compliance with the Freedom of Speech and Artistic Expression Policy.”

Yes, private schools do not necessarily have to follow the same First Amendment guidelines as public universities, but there needs to be some sort of clarity in what students should expect regarding political demonstrations. When we live in a world where there are constant conflicts and turmoil around the world and at home in the U.S., there needs to be opportunities for students to express their feelings and opinions. Otherwise, they will find more drastic ways to do it.

Some events on campus to promote this freedom of expression could include panel discussions from the political science, history, anthropology and sociology departments, guest speakers and campus facilitated demonstrations. These options can help students gain more context about world issues, which makes them feel more heard and educated so they are better equipped to speak out when it matters.

The silencing of student voices is what leads campuses to engage in mass protests and demonstrations to make their feelings heard. This is what is occurring at institutions around the nation in response to the conflict in Palestine. Colleges fail at their mission of allowing students to grow and become better students, but most importantly, better world citizens when they do not create safe spaces for them to achieve this goal naturally.

At this rate, it’s inevitable that students on this campus will want to take action on world issues, whether it’s Palestine or anything else in the future. CSB+SJU can get ahead of the controversy that Columbia is experiencing by making their guidelines on public protests clearer to students and by planning events to make political engagement a thriving part of the CSB+SJU community. Instead of punishing students for standing up for what they believe, universities should offer alternative outlets for protest and expression in constructive ways that still allow administrators to keep the community safe.