AUDREY REED
News Editor
In a post-Facebook world, the word “wall” means a cyberspace locale for inside jokes and perky messagaes.
But there’s a wall at Pepperdine more important than anything on a social networking site — the Freedom Wall.
In spring 2003, the Freedom Wall was added to Joslyn Plaza by the prompting of Amnesty International and the with the help of former Student Government Association President Ben Elliot.
Sometimes, however, the popularity of the wall dwindles, which is sad because not only did students work hard to erect this public forum, but it’s also the only constructive place where students can post messages without them being edited or approved by the university.
On the 10-by-4-foot cork board, members of the Pepperdine community can post almost whatever they want, whatever they want others to know about.
It’s a widespread belief that everyone at Pepperdine is either apathetic or has a homogenous, conservative Christian perspective.
This wall contains comments that are comforting, not necessarily in their content, but because they expose this false idea. The subject matter ranges from drunk driving public service announcements to poems about Pepperdine’s alcohol policies to comical art illustrations. It’s the good, the bad and the ugly of Pepperdine.
As a regular reader of the Freedom Wall, what I’m really impressed by is the dialogue that goes on between students. While it may not always be constructive, these are the types of conversations that colleges should foster. When students leave a liberal arts university, they are expected to not only understand the field they have studied, but also be knowledgeable about current issues.
Perhaps the most memorable Freedom Wall usage came after Black Student Union painted the rock with the sign “In the beginning, the chains were laid. Slavery 1619-2004.” Students immediately reacted to the display via the Freedom Wall.
The only items that are not-so-free on the Freedom Wall are those messages that are “threatening, intimidating or meant for harassment.” These types of speech are the only exception to the 1992 state Leonard Law. This law gives students the same First Amendment rights on campus as off.
By its nature, the Freedom Wall attracts some of the less apathetic members on campus — I guess it takes a very opinionated person to pull out a pen to comment on a Freedom Wall post. So in a way, I’m perhaps living inside of one of Pepperdine’s notorious bubbles by thinking that this is an indicator for the campus as a whole.
As the news editor, I hear many complaints about Pepperdine. In my news judgment, some are valid and others may not be grounded in fact or be printable for legal and ethical reasons.
Also, there are many ideas circulating throughout campus that may not have a story but that students should think about. In these cases, the Freedom Wall is the perfect solution. Get out there with a pen in hand and a critical eye open and help contribute to one of the most unregulated idea exchange places on campus.
11-10-2005
