Everything from political standpoints to Twitter accounts to trash talking filled the board at the Free Speech Wall event Tuesday at the rock on Farm Lane organized by the MSU College Libertarians .
Students passing by the board were encouraged to grab a marker and write whatever they wanted in an effort to promote and raise awareness of free speech rights.
“The purpose of it is to promote civil discourse on campus (and) to remind people that their rights of free speech apply on campus,” said Matt Needham, the president of MSU College Libertarians.
The MSU College Republicans and College Democrats also attended the event.
With so much discussion about free speech rights in regards to the recent campus racism incidents, many people have a misunderstanding about free speech, said computer science sophomore Randall Jensen.
“I think students need to understand all of their rights,” he said. “It’s stuff they should have learned in high school, and it needs to be reinforced that they know it in college.”
Students exercised their First Amendment rights in a variety of ways, as the board was nearly completely covered by both serious and satiric sayings and statements, including phrases for and against President Barack Obama, the legalization of marijuana and gay rights.
“Most of the election-related things are from the political-related parties on campus,” Jensen said. “But besides that, there’s a lot of ‘stop racism,’ ‘hate speech is not free speech,’ and there’s a few bashing (the University of Michigan,) of course.”
Needham, a political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore, said the timing of the event was not directly related to the recent racist incidents in campus buildings and residence halls.
Psychology sophomore Dillon Frechen stopped by the wall to support the cause because he feels MSU is hypocritical in its freedom of speech stance.
“You’re only free to say what you want if you fit a certain degree of what they’re looking for,” Frechen said. “I feel like this allows anyone to say anything they want. … I promote it.”
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon sent a an email Tuesday to all students further promoting tolerance and respect among students on campus, but she did not directly mention free speech issues.
Frechen echoed Jensen’s thoughts about informing students about what their rights are on campus.
“It’s incredibly important,” he said. “Some people don’t even know what the First Amendment is, and if this is how they learn it, then good — it’s going to stick with them. I think it’s a great idea.”
Test your knowledge on the First Amendment.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
