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T h u r s d a y, S e p t e m b e r 1 , 2 0 1 6 | U s i s h i e l d . c o m | v o l . 4 7 i s s u e 3
ʻEVERY INTENT OF BEING OPENʼ Updated policy introduces new areas for speech, expressive activities
Illustration by Philip Kuhns & Photos by Jessica stallings | The Shield
The university has updated its policy regarding areas on campus which are designated for “speech and expressive activities.” The locations are the lawn area south of Rice Library, the lawn area between the Physical Activities Center and the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center and the lawn in front of the Health Professions Building. The three areas combined are approximately 1.6 acres of the 1,400 acre campus.
by gabi wy features@usishield.com @GabiCWy
Freshman Shelby Heins said having zones specific for free speech wasn’t something she would expect to have on a college campus. “We’re paying to go here,” the nursing major said. “So our thoughts should be heard.” As a new student, Heins and several other freshman said they didn’t know about the university’s policy on free speech, which was most recently updated in August. The updated policy, which is labeled F9 in the University Handbook on USI’s website, eradicates what was known as the Free Speech Zone and creates three new zones for “speech and expressive activities.” Because of the Fuquay Welcome Center construction, the original Free Speech Zone between the Performance Center and the Orr Center will
no longer be usable. A committee led by Kindra Strupp, director of Marketing and Communications, decided to replace that zone with three new locations. The locations are the lawn area south of Rice Library, the lawn area between the Physical Activities Center and the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center and the lawn in front of the Health Professions Building. Whether student organizations or unsponsored speakers, the university requires individuals or groups seeking to use these spaces to get permission through the Dean of Students Office. “I don’t like that you have to ask permission,” Heins said. “But maybe it makes sense if the speech gets to a point where it’s offensive.” While several students The Shield spoke with brought up the concept of college being a more “safe space” than the “real world,” Dean of Students Bryan Rush said he hopes students’ views are challenged on campus.
He said that might mean they take offense to something said in a protest, and that offense could benefit students in the long run. “I hope students don’t live in a bubble,” Rush said. “We encourage them to be the ones who regulate the conversation if they’re offended.” Rush said while the concrete changes in the policy are the new zone locations, he and the committee that worked on the policy spent much time on the “philosophical” portion explaining the university’s intent in having the policy. “While we don’t limit free speech, it changes when it turns into a personal attack,” he said. “Our central focus is to have the ability to have civil conversations. That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘nice’ all the time.” Permission is required for anyone to use the three designated areas, and Rush said even if that was not clearly articulated in the older policy, the process of registering to use spaces has “always been in place.”
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Fraternity’s New fee hard to see ‘steady progress’ Students pay more for activities without notification recognized by gabi wy
by Gabi wy
features@usishield.com @GabiCWy
features@usishield.com @GabiCWy
Junior John Mathews didn’t know the student activity fee doubled this fall, and he said he’d have liked to be notified. Over the summer, the Board of Trustees approved the doubling of the student activity fee after a spring proposal pushed by Student Government Association. The increase is visible if a student looks at his or her bill via MyUSI, but there is no indication of the change otherwise. The previously $50 student activity fee was designated to fund specific organizations or campus activities, such as USI theatre, athletics, Activities Programming Board and SGA. Portions of the fee also funded the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center and campus services such as the bus system. As of now, the distribution of the increased fee has
When Daniel Nickens joined Sigma Pi in 2014, he said the fraternity was “on the cusp” of something greater. This summer, the USI chapter of Sigma Pi received the Grand Chapter Award at the fraternity’s convocation ceremony in Las Vegas. This award is given to the 25 highest-ranking chapters nationwide. Nickens, the fraternity’s treasurer, attended the convocation and said the experience of accepting the award was validating. “It gives you a sense of being involved in something greater than yourself,” the senior electrical engineering major said. “Getting recognized by headquarters made us feel like all the hard work we’ve been doing for the past two years meant something.” USI’s chapter, known as
Photo by The Shield
Quinn Musgrave, a computer information majors, climbs the rock wall in the RFWC during Rock the Rec last year. The Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Center is one of the many programs which benefits from the student activity fee.
not been determined. Mathews said if the now $100 fee could result in more funding more smaller organizations such as
Esports and the Tabletop Club, he’d have less objection to paying it. “I don’t go to sports events and sometimes I
go to events if there’s free food, but for the most part, I’m just in clubs,” the accounting major said.
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Theta-Psi, scored at the 93 percent level of efficiency based on evaluations from headquarters. This score gives the chapter a silver rating. Two years prior, the chapter received a bronze, 87 percent efficiency rating. Nickens said he’s seen so much improvement within his time with the fraternity that he has high expectations for the group in the future. “With the current trajectory, we will be running for the top fraternity award (next award cycle,)” he said. “It’s possible. I don’t think that’s a far-fetched dream.” Both Nickens and chapter president Alexander Davis said one of the top goals for Sigma Pi is improving the fraternity’s average GPA. Davis said to be in a fraternity, the university requires students to have a 2.6 GPA. He said Sigma Pi’s chapter average usually falls around that number, but he and other board members are pushing to improve.
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