Campus free speech zone to move locations

The center of activity on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce has shifted in recent years with the addition of new buildings like the Sam Rayburn Student Center and housing additions like Pride Rock, but the free speech zone has yet to follow suit.

The area that is currently designated for demonstrations of free speech the East Circle located by the old student center and cafeteria and McDowell Administration building, used to be a place frequented by students. However, since the university has decided to move the center of campus toward the majority of on campus housing and remove the only street that connects the north side of campus with the south, the East Circle has seen little to no use.

"It doesn't make much sense now that the student center has moved because there is really nothing there," Assistant Dean of Campus Life and Student Development Robert Dotson said. "If the purpose of the free speech zone is to have an audience and be heard, those type of things within reason it stands to reason that it should move. That is why we are looking at moving the free speech zone. That as well as putting something in place in terms of parameters of use, what the free speech space is supposed to be about and having something documented."

Some newer students like freshman Haley Case were unaware that the university even had a space designated for free speech but see the potential for such things at an institution for higher learning.

"I think it is necessary because some people are more outspoken then others and some people need to get out what they feel is necessary to get out," Case said. "I think that [the move] would be good, more people would hear about it and see it and probably more people would exercise their right to free speech."

The university has put together an ad-hoc committee headed by Dotson to work on moving the free speech zone to a better place.

"We are going to be having a meeting next week to go over the parameters of use and the document that we will be using," Dotson said. "We will be using some things from other universities with Texas A&M being the model and possibly adding to or scaling it down so it will fit us."

Dotson said that the move would not require any construction, but a designated area for when the need arises. He is meeting with organizations like the Association of Student Conduct Administrators, the American College Personnel Association and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators to make sure that all the students' rights are balanced with maintaining safety in the free speech zone.

"The free speech zone is to be used for free speech," Dotson said. "It is definitely a space that is used but of course we are wanting to put some things in place where people are respectful of parameters and those types of things while exercising free speech and we will go from there. Hopefully we do not have any political uprisings or things like that."