Designated free speech policy not unique to Ole Miss

PAMELA HAMILTON
DM Editor

If a student protests outside the free speech area at Mississippi State University, he may very well be arrested, Dean of Students Mike White said Thursday.

"We would ask a person to move to a designated area," White said. The university would try to get the person to move using "friendly persuasion," but if he refused, an arrest may be necessary, White said.

"We don't deny the expression of ideas," White said. "We reserve the right to control time, manner, and place."

On Monday, Ole Miss student Arthur Baker was arrested after refusing to move his demonstration against The Daily Mississippian to the free speech area in front of Fulton Chapel. Baker was holding signs in front of Farley Hall when police asked him to move to the free speech area. When he refused, he was arrested by University Police Officer Lynn Webb, and charged with failure to obey a police officer.

The university's designated the area in front of Fulton as its free speech zone in 1997. Ole Miss' current policy requires a permit in order for persons demonstrate within the designated area.

At least three other Southeastern Conference schools, including MSU, have designated areas for free speech and demonstrations. MSU's policy, implemented about 10 years ago, designates an area beside the student union as a free speech area. Persons who want to use the area need not have a permit. If a person wants to use MSU facilities to speak, he must be sponsored by a student organization and obtain a permit 48 hours before his delivery.

The University of Kentucky and the University of Auburn also designate specific areas for speech and or demonstrations.

At least two public Southeastern conference universities do not designate areas as free speech zones.

The University of Florida policy states that demonstrations may be held anywhere on campus, except in buildings, as long as they don't disrupt the normal operation of the university. The University of Arkansas has had no speech or demonstration regulations since 1995.