Passing through the Brickyard, one often hears missionaries yelling statements like “you’re going to hell” and “butt sex fornicators will burn.” It occurs to anyone immediately in the vicinity that some outside influences are less than nurturing to one’s educational experience. We see tour groups come and go and prospective students are watching everything. Their glares are similar to those of a sightseer at a zoo. Current students go about their business and ignore the invasiveness of tourists, knowing that they deserve to be here.
Conversely, the rants of Brickyard public speakers undermine not only students’ respect for the subject they are arguing, but also that of the University. These “preachers” specifically undermine the religion they claim to follow so perfectly. Their words are offensive, outrageous, loud and unwanted. They really should take their slanderous words elsewhere. If I had seen such activities on campus when I first took a tour, I would be offended by these orators. First impressions of the University can be enough to make or break new students’ decisions to come to a school.
The America I know is tolerant of all religions, ways of life, ways of thinking, cultures, ages, races, backgrounds and diversity in general. Those preaching self-righteous and over-indulgent bigotry should have restricted access to a college campus. These speakers have no respect for students who only mean to study or even just enjoy a quiet sit down outside in spring. Academics are stressful enough without the distraction of someone who is granted the right to speak with no restriction in content. We have lecture halls for just such speeches, and if students choose to attend then they should be given the option. These preachers are forced upon students. Students should never have to avoid a place on campus for fear of being berated or of a fight breaking out. They should not be made uncomfortable by the banter of one opinionated person. These speakers set up an adversarial speech situation.
These preachers prove to be destructive to the learning environment by demonstrating disrespect and disregard to opposing views, and should be charged with disrupting the peace. These people demonize and berate students. Let’s see these men and women removed and named as public offenders. Students pay too much money to be unable to find some solace. A bit of breathing room would be good in between stressful lectures and labs. Students do not pay to hear lecturing from an idiot who jumps on the bricks and decides it is time to preach his or her gospel. Officials should do a better job of stopping these madmen from bombarding students with ideas they would rather not entertain. In an academic setting, it is important to reduce the amount of mental noise on campus.
These preachers should take a hike. They pollute campus with their noisy banter and very presence. If anyone, student organizations should be the ones to be given a place in the Brickyard or other student commons. These madmen do not deserve the right to invade our minds with their filth and should therefore be done away with. It is unbecoming of a University to limit students in their access to an accepting, nurturing and noise proof environment.
E-mail Mansoor at [email protected]
