Never mind the debate about whether students ought to be able to carry permitted concealed handguns on campus; how about students carrying concealed . . . chalk?
I was expecting it would come to this:
DePaul says no more political chalking in response to pro-Trump messages
By Anthony Gockowski
DePaul University will no longer allow students to chalk political messages on the sidewalks of its campus because of the “offensive, hurtful, and divisive” nature of pro-Trump chalking found on campus last week.
“While these chalk messages are part of national agendas in a heated political battle, they appeared on campus at a time of significant racial tension in our country and on college campuses. DePaul is no exception,” Depaul’s vice president for student affairs Eugene Zdziarski wrote in a campus-wide email obtained by Campus Reform. “The university has been addressing campus climate issues in an effort to provide an inclusive and supportive educational environment. In this context, many students, faculty and staff found the chalk messages offensive, hurtful and divisive.”
Consequently, Zdziarski explained that DePaul’s status as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization prohibits students from participating in any political activity that could be interpreted as a reflection of the university’s “views or opinions.” Political chalking on Depaul’s grounds, Zdziarski argued, fits this description.
More here from the DePaul campus paper.
Of course, one way to keep any students from being offended is to reinstitute segregation. We’ve seen several universities re-institute racially segregated dormitories and special “safe spaces,” but Chapman University in California is going to have separate (but equal!) graduation ceremonies by ethnic and identity group next month. Here’s their poster:
Meanwhile, we’ve mentioned previously that April is “Whiteness History Month” at Portland Community College, and for moment I’ll pass over the curious coincidence that Whiteness History Month is also Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month (because some things are just too easy). Here PCC Professor James Harrison envisions “a world without whiteness.”
Finally, remember the University of Missouri, which has had to close down four dormitories because new student enrollment has plunged in the aftermath of last fall’s craven capitulations by Mizzou’s feckless administration? Apparently the administration is waking up, taking note of what Ohio State did with student protestors last week, and has sensibly decided: “We want some of that.”
University of Missouri Police Warn Students Against Disruptive Protests
Officials at the University of Missouri are no longer allowing protests that disrupt campus operations.
MU police told a group of 15 student protesters Wednesday that they would face arrest or student discipline proceedings if their protests disrupted university business.
MUPD Major Brian Weimer, who followed the protesters as they went from the Student Center to Jesse Hall, said the university decided to start enforcing an existing policy against disruptions after receiving complaints from people on campus about past protests.
MU spokeswoman Mary Jo Banken cited Chapter 110 of the UM System’s Collected Rules and Regulations, which says the university can “set reasonable time, place and manner restrictions” on all meetings to prevent “interference with the right of students to obtain an education.”
Weimer said the university wants to balance free speech with employees’ rights to do their jobs without disruption.
The student protesters were part of a day of action against racism and student debt coordinated by the Million Student March. The nationwide protest sought tuition-free public college, cancellation of all student debt, a $15 minimum wage for all campus workers and divestment from private prisons by all higher education institutions.
Here’s a mischievous idea for College Republicans on every campus. Make up some t-shirts with Mario Savio’s image on it, but have him brandishing a stick of chalk. Heh.
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