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November 18, 2015.1 Issue 12, Volume 63 I thebiuebanner.net NEWS 3rown Hall is one of the free speech zones on campus. Photo by Makeda Sandford - Layout & Design Editor Free speech zones questioned JASON PERRY A&F Staff Writer jperry1@unca.edu The First Amendment guar antees citizens the right to free dom of speech. This guarantee is being ques tioned at UNC Asheville. “It alarms me that there is a free speech zone at all,” said Diana Kmk, vice chair of Move to Amend, with her voice raised and fist in the air. “I feel like a university campus should be a bastion of free thinking, free speech and free association, and by establishing a free speech zone you eliminate that.” UNCA has one free speech zone where visitors are able to protest outside Brown Hall, at Reid’s Plaza. Protesting outside the free speech zone is not per mitted. Kruk said she thinks ha:ving a free speech zone takes away people’s First Amendment rights. She thinks people should have a right to protest anywhere on campus. “When you criminalize free thinking, free speech and free association by making anything outside those parameters, it’s incredibly detrimental to soci ety at large,” Kruk said. “When you do that at a college campus I think it is incredibly detrimen tal to the entire process of high er learning.” Eric Boyce, UNCA chief of police, said he wants protesters’ voices to be heard, but he runs into problems when protests impede campus activities. “That is not just for on cam pus, but anywhere, and that is important for folks who are or ganizing protests,” Boyce said. “When you start running into problems is where you are in front of Bank of America, and not letting customers come in.” Kruk said the system will take care of itself. She said a couple of people protesting would not affect campus activity. “If there are four people who “The windows are thick enough to drown ■ out four people. But if it is a situation where enough people get riled up about it, then it should be listened to.” Diana Kruk are trying to be disruptive they are not going to be given much credence,” Kmk said. “They are not going to be that dismptive.” Kmk said that if enough peo ple are behind an issue, then the issue deserves to be heard. , “The windows are thick enough to drown out four peo ple,” Kmk said. “But if it is a situation where enough peo ple get riled up about it, then it should be listened to.” Gray McDiarmid, senior bi ology student from Greensboro, said the free speech zone is nec essary but should be expanded. “I really would like to see the freedom of speech on campus to include the entire campus,” said McDiarmid, while protesting for smokers’ rights. “I do under stand the need for a designated protest zone for people coming outside of campus, because we do get a lot of anti-abortion people, with their big graphic images.” McDiarmid said he has expe rience protesting outside of the free speech zone, but was redi rected to Reid’s Plaza. He said he did not receive any harass ment from campus police. “They are polite police offi cers,” said McDiarmid, with a grin. Sophie Silver-Isenstadt, a former UNCA student, said reg ulating the free speech zone is a good idea. Silver-Isenstadt said there should be more areas besides Reid’s Plaza. Read more on page 7 The Blue Banner Fall 2015 Editorial Board Editor-In-Chief Timbi Shepherd, jshephe3@unca.edu Enterprising Editor James Neal, jneal@unca.edu News Editor Emma Alexander, nalexand@unca.edu Sports Editor Harrison Slaughter, jslaught@unca.edu Arts & Features Editor Larisa Karr, lakarr@unca.edu Copy Desk Chief ■ Tamsen Todisco, ttodisco@unca.edu Layout & Design Editor Makeda Sandford, msandfor@unca.edu Photography Editor Johnny Condon, jcondon@unca.edu Multimedia Editor Maddie Stagnaro, mstagnar@unca.edu Social Media Editor Michael O'Hearn, mohearn@unca.edu Opinion Editor June Bunch, kbunch@unca.edu Copy Editors Devric Lefevre, dkiyota@unca.edu Kathryn GambjII, agam,bill@unca.edu Katelyn Northrop, knorthru@unca.edu Advertising Manager Amber Abunassar, aabunass@unca.edu Faculty Adviser Michael Gouge, mgouge@unca.edu Staff Jason Perry, Matt McGregor, Phillip Wyatt, Curtis'Ginn, Holden Mesk, Maddy Swims, Sam Shumate, Ashley Elder, Becca Andrews, Roan Farb, Jordyn Key, Meredith Bumgarner, and Carson Wall. Follow Us: ©TheBlueBanner 0 The Blue Banner Q ©thebluebanner Have a news tip? Send to Jshephe3@unca.edu' The Blue Banner is UNC Ashe ville’s student newspaper. We publish each Wednesday except during summer sessions, finals week and holiday breaks. Our office is located in Karpen Hall 019. The Blue Banner is a designated forum for free speech and wel comes letters to the editor, con sidering them on basis of interest,; space and timeliness. Letters and articles should be emailed to the editor-in-chief or the appropriate section editor. Letters should include the writer’s name, year in school, and major or other relationship to UNCA. Include a telephone number to aid in verification. All articles are subject to editing.
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