drew_jones31•7h agoProlific Poster

I watched my campus free speech zone shrink from a busy lawn to a tiny corner in 2 years

Back in fall of 2021 at Ohio State, you could set up a table on the main oval and debate anything you wanted. Crowds would gather, people would yell, it was messy but real. Fast forward to spring 2023, and the administration moved all non-approved speech to a small concrete patch behind the student union. I know because I tried to hand out flyers about housing costs and got told to move. The change happened after a conservative speaker visit in April 2022 that turned into a big argument and some fights. Now that open space is dead quiet, and the only people using the little corner are religious groups that already have permits. Has anyone else seen their campus physically shrink the spaces where you can actually talk to strangers?

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_stone6h ago

Man that really stinks. I've seen the exact same thing happen at my school, it's like they slowly box you into smaller and smaller spaces until there's nothing left. The whole point of a campus is supposed to be that you can hash things out in the open, not be herded into some sad little corner like it's a punishment. I get that fights are bad and nobody wants that, but shutting down the whole conversation seems like the wrong fix. It just makes everything feel sterile and fake, like a shopping mall instead of a place for learning. I'm sorry you lost your spot on the oval, that really was a special thing to have.

the_olivia5h agoMost Upvoted

Friend of mine had a similar thing happen at their university. They had a little courtyard where people would hang out and talk between classes, and the administration turned it into a "quiet zone" after a few loud arguments. Now it's just a bunch of empty tables and wilted plants. Feels like they're so scared of any conflict that they'd rather kill the whole vibe than let people work things out.