By Web site Editor Admin
It’s existence motivated the downtrodden to fight for civil rights and social equality. It put words in the mouths of those who screamed for justice. The Bill of Rights, rooted in human dignity, has defended countless citizens of the United States from the tyranny of corruptible government. Thankfully, for students, it has a home in the walls of the University. Unfortunately, hidden in the walls is where it stays.
The “Faculty Policy Series 12” is the bill of student rights in the University Constitution. Titled “Academic Freedom and Civil Liberties of Students at Hofstra University,” it grants certain civil liberties to all students. But unlike the Bill of Rights, the administration has shown no desire to make this document public to students. Hoping to change this, we developed a group concerned with ensuring student rights are well known and upheld.
Recently the right to public demonstration, which is fundamental to freedom of speech, has been brought to our attention. This fundamental right is hidden within bureaucratic walls. If we want to engage in a public protest, we are forced to get “permission” from administrators. Student passion must meet up with the dean of students, smothering the spontaneity and effectiveness of the student voice.
When examining University policy, one must keep in mind that the purpose of the policy is to serve the best interests of the student body, while maintaining University integrity. With this as a guiding principle, the Student Rights Commission has concluded the policy of placing administration barriers to student expression is overtly oppressive.
The justification for requiring permission to demonstrate is to prevent fire code violations and excess traffic in the Student Center. When one registers a demonstration, public safety takes the liberty of fencing off a little area where the protestors can stand – far from where they’d be seen or heard. Is the administration’s trust and respect for students so low they feel it necessary to fence us off like livestock? We refer you to a clause in the “Faculty Policy Series 12” that grants us the dignity to practice this civil liberty: “The University recognizes the rights of students, faculty, administrators and staff to demonstrate peacefully and make known their grievances, requests and demands. The University will do all in its power to protect this right.” Without getting the okay from the administration we are limited to sub-student status, denied of basic rights.
The mini-protest against Coca-Cola several weeks ago demonstrates this plainly. There we saw public safety officers threaten to suspend students; administrators standing idly by shaking their heads; students received multiple summonses for the exact same charges. Witnessing this we wondered: where in the walls of the University did the right to demonstrate get stuck? Obviously, we didn’t get the memo.
We understand that the administration is here for our benefit, protection and well-being. In truth fact, we depend upon this fact. However, we believe we must not be subject to the administration’s interpretation of our rights. We must define our rights for ourselves, for without our input, we have no rights at all.
We openly challenge the relevant administrators to drop the charges to the five students who were exercising their freedom of speech by protesting against Coca-Cola. We challenge all of our readers to go against the grain and become familiar with the rights granted to them. We challenge the dean of students to display her value of student rights by making readily and easily accessible the updated version of “Faculty Policy Series 12.” And we challenge the entire administration be more attentive to student dissension. Fellow students, don’t forget who we are and what we can do.