We have had quite an interesting week with drug busts and the police shutting down the Harlem Shake events. Despite negative pushback, the University’s decision to shut down the latter event was not all bad.
These circumstances are the perfect opportunity to open up a conversation about the University’s free speech policy. In doing so, we can move forward as a University.
Obviously, free speech is something everyone at the University should care about; it affects all of us. We need to continue the conversation. We can’t let this event happen once and then ignore the issues.
We as a campus need to continue in the tracks of the first person to protect our right to free speech. We as students need to stand up for our right to speak. Instead of bemoaning the decision, the student body should use this event to present what we want the grounds policies to be, instead of letting the University decide what the policy is.
The conversation sparked by the Harlem Shake event must be kept alive. If we ignore this event, we will hinder free speech movements on campus.
As a student body, we need to keep the conversation open, not through rebelling, but simply through dialogue. This is crucial for our University moving on and being the best that it can be. We have a golden opportunity to change the way our campus works, and these opportunities do not come often.
We need to band together and work to change the system. The administration will listen to us because they want to have an open conversation. We just need to open it. I believe this administration has done an incredible job so far with working and listening to students. They do care; we just need to do our part and open up the conversations.
So yes, we need to not only use this moment to create conversations regarding student speech rights on campus, but we should also do so in cooperation with, not in opposition to, the administration. We have a golden opportunity, and it should not be squandered.
Regan Williams is a junior majoring in political science and communication studies. His column runs biweekly on Thursdays.
Leading in today’s Crimson White:
Student organization to host 5k to raise scholarship funds
