Fresno State faces resistance over renaming free speech zone

Peter Fricke
Investigative Reporter

According to an editor of The Collegian, CSU-Fresno's student newspaper, renaming the free speech zone could confuse students as to where they may demonstrate.
The school's policies actually do not limit free speech to the free speech zone.

California State University-Fresno wants to change the name of its free speech zone to encourage free expression throughout campus, but not everyone is on board with the idea.

“Renaming the Free Speech Area on campus is a bad idea,” Opinion Editor Megan Bronson wrote in an op-ed for The Collegian, CSU-Fresno’s student newspaper. “Of course freedom of expression is taking place all over campus. That is what happens when students and professors share information.”

If the name changes, new students will have to rely on word of mouth that this is an area where they can [demonstrate].”  

The op-ed was written in response to a survey that was recently sent to students by the office of Student Involvement soliciting feedback on a list of proposed alternative names for the area, which explained that “[t]his area is currently referred to as the Free Speech Area, which implies freedom of expression is confined to this area.”

In reality, though, the school’s policies do not restrict speech activities to the area, but merely allow student organizations to reserve space there for demonstrations. Reservations are not required in order to use the space, though organizations that request to use it in advance are given priority.

Bronson argues that rather than encouraging free speech in other areas of campus, the name change would actually lead to curtailment of speech because students would become confused about where they should demonstrate.

Currently, she explains, “[s]tudents know that they are welcome and invited to gather here, in a place where we are familiar with seeing other students exercise their rights,” adding that the location is ideal for such activities due to its accessibility and high foot traffic. “If the name changes,” though, she frets, “new students will have to rely on word of mouth that this is an area where they can give speeches, protest, and build community.”

Yet when the proposal to change the name of the Free Speech Area was first raised earlier this year, Josh Edrington, Student Involvement club and organization coordinator, told The Collegian that the purpose would be to underscore the fact that students are free to express their opinions anywhere on campus.

“In a sense, it almost seemed like we are containing free speech to one centralized area on campus,” he explained. “In a public institution, free speech is anywhere as long as it’s not disrupting the academic mission of the university.”

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is of a similar opinion, listing the university’s free speech area as a “yellow light” policy, because while it “is not meant to constrain freedom of speech on the remainder of campus, but merely to establish a forum for the convenient use of students and the general public,” the name carries the implication that free speech is somehow limited to a specific section of campus.

“We do recognize that free speech is a founding principle, and Fresno State wants to encourage free expression,” the Student Involvement Center told Campus Reform, but added “The Campus Sign Committee decided last week that more dialogue is needed before any decisions are made regarding any name change in the future.”

The importance of encouraging free speech on college campus was further highlighted in a recent poll commissioned by the William F. Buckley, Jr. program at Yale University, advance results of which were published by The Wall Street Journal.

According to the poll of about 800 college students from across the country, 51 percent of respondents reported favoring “speech codes to regulate speech for students and faculty,” compared to just 36 percent who opposed such policies.

More shocking still, one-third of the students did not know that the First Amendment protects free speech, and another 35 percent claimed that it does not protect “hate speech.” Among self-identified liberals, 30 percent said that First Amendment is outdated.

http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=6922/

I hope they don't rename it something like "theater," or, "stage," or "amphitheater," or something like that.

Because next thing you know they are going to start putting up buildings with stadium seating and allowing people to write, produce, direct, put together, comedy skits, and things called "plays" (I copyrighted that, you can't use it!), or "musicals" (that's mine too!), that present ideas in a way that people actually want to listen to.

Maybe someday people will want to do more than scream their seemingly extemporaneous beliefs and protests at people, demanding a guarantee they can do it everywhere with the audience they desire.

One can dream of real change like that, something new, hopey changey.


Maybe they should stop calling schools "schools."

A sign with "a place people pay to go to and kinda hang out and discuss stuff that makes them feel good and feel important and like adults and get a piece of paper that says you're a super star for sticking around and going into debt sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars for said piece of paper" might be too long though.
I think we could get a deal if we outsourced the graphics to India, and the physical sign construction to China, though.

Being told where to demonstrate, is free speech? How?

How very disappointing.
If they're to stupid to know what free speech is all about, they don't deserve it.

California State University-Fresno wants to change the name of its free speech zone to encourage free expression throughout campus, but not everyone is on board with the idea.

Bullsh@t, this is the " It is for your own good & everyone's good" routine & word play manipulation.

If you remove the words " Free speech "... You just removed " free speech "

Fresno was a great city when Bubba was mayor

Free speech 'zones' are nothing but pens for the sheeple to be herded into.

You can't tell me not to yell "Fire!" in a theatre if there actually is one, just like you can't tell me where to stand if you don't like critical speech about you.

More often than not these 'zones' are simply to keep the unhappy 'rabble' at a distance from self important politician so they don't have to be subject to any unpleasantries. Awwww, pooor baby.

You know what? Suck it up, Buttercup. If you want to pass laws, make rules, pass judgements, and pontificate political correctness, expect to be challenged. If someone tries to herd you into a 'zone' just so you can open your mouth, so 'Don't touch me! I'm fine right here, thank you! Please leave me alone!'

Be loud, and be conspicuous. Get someone filming it just in case anything happens.