RSU fights for poster rights, ACLU speaks
Derrick Perkins, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
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Standing in front of a banner reading "Whose University? Our University," members of the registered student organization lambasted the University of Massachusetts administration for what it considers suppression of free speech on campus.
"There is no explicit protection of free speech here at UMass-Amherst and this affects every individual student as well as every student group on campus," said Constantinos Savaros, student senator from Orchard Hill and member of the RSU. "What you say here is not guaranteed to be protected and you're all at risk to be disciplined for expressing yourselves."
Savaros criticized University policy as limiting the freedom of speech by giving undue authority to the chancellor for determining what can and cannot be displayed on campus.
"There is no criteria outlined on how to determine what is and is not acceptable and thus the chancellor can make up the criteria as he wishes," Savaros said. "The arbitrary nature of these rules makes free speech non-existent here. The chancellor determines who can say what and where they can say it according to the vague rules that currently exist."
Bill Newman, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Western Massachusetts office, charged the University with putting a chilling effect on the First Amendment at UMass.
"It's about the right to express yourselves," he said to a crowd of nearly 100 onlookers. "It's not only your right, it's your obligation to make those statements."
The rally arrived on the eve of a judicial hearing that, according to members of the RSU, will likely determine whether the group will lose either its office space or status as an RSO. The group has been charged with failure to comply with an administrator and the theft, misuse or damage of University property for defying a directive to remove a safe-sex brochure - graphically displaying two men engaging in sexual relations - earlier this semester.
"I think a student group that has any type of rally that promotes a positive message is doing a service to the school," said Brad DeFlumeri, president of the UMass Republican Club. "We appreciated what the RSU did today in bringing in a high-ranking member of the American Civil Liberties Union."
Some students, like senior Brian Scannell, remained more ambivalent about the rally and its effect on current state of campus free speech.
"I'm a student here, and I'm not part of the administration and I'm not a part of the Radical Student Union, so for the administration to tell me what I can't see or for the Radical Student Union to tell me what I have to see, it's just two different types of tyranny," said the mathematics and economics major.
Scannell called for both the administration and the Radical Student Union to seek out the opinion of the student body.
"Both the administration and the RSU now need to consult the students and ask them how they feel instead of telling them how they should feel," he said. "The administration tells us how we should feel one way and the RSU tells us how we should feel the other way and nobody actually asks us how we generally feel."
Derrick Perkins can be reached at dperkins@dailycollegian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 35
Michael DeFilippi
posted 4/18/08 @ 2:22 AM EST
This should shouldn't have been an issue in the first place. I would've understood if someone from the general public complained but it appears it was people who clearly want to push their own views on others. (Continued…)
McKie
McKie
posted 4/18/08 @ 11:23 AM EST
I must say, it was fun to watch DeFlumeri flop around like a dying fish, defending the rights of the RSU to post what he himself fought to get removed. (Continued…)
Andrew F
posted 4/18/08 @ 11:37 AM EST
I'm glad they had a large turnout.
Sadly, Brian Scannell speaks for a lot of students. Specifically the crowd that has no knowledge of and little interest in campus politics, and yet feels compelled to speak about it. (Continued…)
free speech for who?
posted 4/18/08 @ 1:51 PM EST
I'm all for free speech.
As such, campus "hate speech" codes are equally unjust and "unconstitutional".
RSU/ACLU are too late in this debate. Don't I have a right to say racially insensitive and "offensive" things on campus? Let's not forget that those who are not politically correct are silenced on campus too. (Continued…)
McKie
McKie
posted 4/18/08 @ 6:00 PM EST
Mr. Andrew F,
It is clear where you stand. You blatantly ignore the fact that people found the *way* that the posters presented was offensive. Is it tyrannical to expect people to tolerate something that they find significantly offensive? Just because the RSU doesn't have strong central leadership doesn't mean that they can't be tyrannical. (Continued…)
Andrew F
posted 4/19/08 @ 2:18 AM EST
McKie,
I concede that even a highly decentralized institution can be oppressive. However, it is much harder, as dissent can easily sabotage the campaign. (Continued…)
L33to
posted 4/21/08 @ 2:25 AM EST
I hope no one is offended by pictures of giant, glistening worms.
McKie
McKie
posted 4/23/08 @ 11:13 AM EST
People's continued insistence on equating the RSU with the people who fought for civil liberties is not fair. I must say that your insistence of doing so fills me with such anger that it makes me ill. (Continued…)
Journalim Major
posted 4/23/08 @ 1:31 PM EST
What was the date that they held the rally? You should really specify that.
Andrew F
posted 4/23/08 @ 3:56 PM EST
McKie,
I just read the MCAD, and you left out important contextual information. Specifically, you neglected this paragraph, which precedes the list of behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment:
"While it is not possible to list all those additional circumstances that may constitute sexual harassment, the following are some examples of conduct which if unwelcome, may constitute sexual harassment depending upon the totality of the circumstances including the severity of the conduct and its pervasiveness:
. (Continued…)
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