What are student rights? Why does anyone agree to sign on to student contracts that limit their constitutional rights? At campuses all across the country schools have cracked down on student's organizing abilities. The problem originates in how schools file with the IRS. When schools file as certain types of non- profit, private institutions, federal law prohibits them from allowing types of political organizations to interact with students. Schools, however, often go beyond those guidelines to subdue student voices. Although, this can have a negative effect on the school. When students are granted their full rights to free speech, they tend to embrace it. It leads to all sorts of awesome political clubs being started on campus. A healthy campus environment allows open dialogue where all sorts of ideas can be supported or challenged. Giving students access to their rights can teach students how to make change in their communities. But when administrations clamp down on rights they often rob students of their full college experience. How can someone be ready to take on the real world when they're kept from standing up for what they believe in?
At my school, Widener University, there is a host of draconian policies aimed at silencing the students. First, there is the political policy. It states that no organization can operate on campus if it supports a particular candidate. I'm sure that made sense when they wrote it, but the problem is 99.9% of political organizations are going to back candidates that support their causes. This particular provision is what will keep these organizations from registering students to vote. When youth turnout and registration are at record lows, colleges should be encouraging their students to get out and vote (unless their scared we'll vote to make college cheaper). Second, Widener does allow an individual student to educate others on issues, but if you'd like to reserve a space on campus, you need to be an official on campus club. This requires forming an e-board of 7, completing community service hours, and attending hours of mandatory meetings, just to name a few. A lot to get done just so a student can inform others on an issue. Oh, and if a club is suspected of violating Widener's policies it can lose funding and its members can face academic penalty.
I believe that we live in a time where everyone needs to be informed. Issues are so pressing that Americans may have to spend more time than before thinking about the future. Will students begin to stand up and demand their rights as citizens? Only time will tell.
