I saw a student group cancel a speaker just because ten people signed a petition. This happens all the time now. It means we only hear safe opinions, not real debate. Free speech is getting weaker on campus. We need to push back against this trend. Let's invite more speakers, even if they challenge us. Otherwise, college loses its point.
Ngl, I used to think colleges should just keep out speakers with extreme views. Then last fall, I was doing some landscaping work at a college and they had a guy come who said things that made a lot of students angry. Instead of trying to get him kicked out, a student group set up a open forum the next day for everyone to talk about it. I stuck around to hear it, and it was really respectful. People from both sides shared their thoughts without yelling. They even found some common points on basic issues. That small forum showed me that letting the talk happen and then having more discussion can work better than just saying no. Now I believe that kind of response helps keep open dialogue on campus.
I mean, we invited two professors with opposite views on campus protests. Idk, I thought it would be a mess, but people listened and asked good questions. The admin almost canceled it, but we pushed back and they agreed. Maybe it's just me, but seeing folks engage without yelling made me hopeful for free speech here.