Student claims free speech violation
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007 @ 1:23 am
Until Sunday night, Maritza Perez had an anti-war and a pro-Barack Obama sign clearly displayed in her fourth floor Canada Hall window overlooking the parking lot between Canada and Nye Halls.But by Monday morning she took them down so Residential Life, Housing and Food Services wouldn’t punish her for violating a ResLife policy that prohibits anything from hanging on or around a window and being visible from the outside. She faced consequences ranging from a verbal warning to expulsion from the dorms, according to the ResLife handbook.“I don’t want to do this. I really don’t want to,” Perez said at 11:59 p.m. Sunday while climbing on her bed to tear the signs down.
She closed her blinds after she ripped the two signs down, saying she didn’t want to look at an empty window.
“I’m so pissed at these (University of Nevada, Reno) people,” she said, her signs lying on the bed. “It feels like the school betrayed me.”
Rod Aeschlimann, director of ResLife, said one reason the policy exists is to keep obscenity out of sight of people driving down Virginia Street and potential students touring the campus with their parents. He said ResLife wanted to stay away from determining obscene content.
“We don’t get into trying to determine what’s offensive, we just limit all or allow all,” he said. “If someone wanted to express themselves, we would certainly work with them on posting on the bulletin boards or starting activities and events.”
Aeschlimann said ResLife also doesn’t want to worry about possible damage to the windows from tape being baked onto the glass.
Since the fight started about a week ago, Perez, a 19-year-old journalism and Spanish major, has enlisted the American Civil Liberties Union.
Lee Rowland, staff attorney with the ACLU, said she supports Perez in the fight. Rowland said the ACLU is only acting in an advisory manner as they try to settle the matter informally.
Rowland said this is a First Amendment issue and laughed when she learned the university banned signs because they didn’t want to deal with obscene speech.
“Quite frankly, (banning signs because) some speech might be offensive or disruptive is absolutely ludicrous, especially from a government entity like UNR,” Rowland said.
She said the ACLU has contacted UNR President Milton Glick and they’ve been talking about the matter.
Glick said he sees both sides of the issue and has not committed to one side. He said he’s open to discussion and looking at the policy deeper.
“It’s one of those issues where good people can disagree on it,” he said.
Perez bickered with ResLife officials for about a week before taking the signs down.
While Perez took the signs down, she said it wasn’t because she was worried about being kicked out of the dorms – her friends offered her places to stay – but because she wanted to make her argument stronger.
Perez said because she took the signs down, ResLife succeeded in limiting her free speech. If she left them up, she would look like a troublemaker, she said.
Glen Elam, a 19-year-old geology major living on the fifth floor of Canada Hall, said he and his suitemates were forced to take down a black flag with a skull-and-crossbones emblazoned on it.
He said they hung the flag from the window in honor of “Talk Like A Pirate” day Sept. 19. Elam and some of his suitemates said they took down their flag because they signed the policy agreement, but they felt singled out because other dorms had signs in their windows.
They complained about the perceived disparity to the Canada resident director, but Elam said he would fight against the policy if someone else raised the issue.
Perez said she would start working with the Residence Halls Association this week. Perez, a newly appointed Associated Students of the University of Nevada senator, said she would bring it up at the Wednesday senate meeting as well.
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October 3rd, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Why does the Sagebrush insist on painting Maritza Perez as a victim? The language in this article is so cliche; I especially love the phrase “Perez bickered with ResLife…” Because that’s not a stereotypical image, right?
And that picture? Come on, Sagebrush, is this how all strong women are to be portrayed across your pages?
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Free Speech lives at UNR!! — It’s just going to take a brave student like Maritza to take a stand!
You’ve got support all over the state! Keep up the good work!
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:20 pm
While I don’t particularly care about the “victim,” Residential Life and Housing are the biggest collective assholes on campus. A word of advice to incoming freshmen: don’t live there.
You sign away all your rights and you can wind up homeless with no refunds (and maybe even an extra fee or two).
Rent an apartment or buy a house. The amount of money you spend in the dorms can be better spent, and at least if you’re putting it towards a house you’ll have something to show (and maybe even sell) later.
Hell, live with a relative. I know it can be unbearable, but at least that’s free as opposed to paying to live with someone who’s a total douche.
October 4th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Allan Tan- - You need to get off your high horse and use this “power” you have as a way to benefit your FELLOW students not try to control their lives you power hungry creep.
October 4th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I’m not sure how you mean, but maybe I did overstep my bounds with that first comment.
And I am not trying to control anyone’s life. God knows controlling my own is hard enough!
October 5th, 2007 at 12:23 am
I officially have no stance on this subject, but I think it needs to be restated that when one signs up to live in the residence halls, they agree to abide by the guidelines set forth in the Residence Hall Standards of Conduct which can be found in the student planner all residents receive.
The pertinent guideline in this instance is item P of section XI. Prohibited Activities:
“Attaching signs or objects in or around windows in a way that makes them visible from outside. …”
October 8th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Yes, there is a section in the student handbook that states that signs may not be put in the windows. HOWEVER, that needs to be changed, it is a blatant violation of free speech. Its a college campus, college is all about expressing your opinions. Putting a campaign sign or a peace sticker on your window hardly creates a hostile living environment. I also love how people can put Halloween and Christmas decorations in their windows and it seems to go unnoticed, but as soon as you put a campaign poster in your window its all over.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Just because a policy exists doesn’t make it a just policy. Think about that one Allan. Restricting all speech, which is what RHA is doing, sounds very 1984-esque. I support Senator Maritza Perez in her campaign against censorship.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Thank you Morgan and Joseph for the things you said. I agree with the decorations in the window comment. It isn’t fair that Maritza has to sacrifice her freedom of self expression when Halloween and Christmas supporters can have theirs, albeit I value everyone’s personal opinion and believe this policy SUCKS. I’m here for you Maritza, my best friend, 100% of the way and you know you have thousands of other supporters. Don’t stop till it’s a success.
October 19th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Ok so as far as I as I can tell Maritza, entered into a signed contract with Reslife and should be held accountable for following the rules she willing signed when she moved into the res halls. I do not agree with the contract and do feel that it is in violation of free speech but when she entered that contract she should have brought up the issue then. She is not the victim here and I am tierd of her portraying herself as a poor innocent sole. She knew what she was getting into when she put them up and she knew what was going to follow next. I am disheartened that she was appointed to the Senate as well. She is only trying to rally support and didn’t deserve the position. There were far more qualified applicants and I did not vote for her.
October 24th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
The pains of bureaucracy are far reaching, and thus presents the problems when property is owned by the state. I love how quickly everyone cries bloody 1st amendment, as if that bears ANY weight or is applicable at ALL in the dorms. Why has no one considered the other constitutional rights that are waived when choosing to live in the resident dorms:
Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms. - One may not even have an air soft gun without being put on one years probation!
Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure. - Resident Dorms can search your room with police at any time with no probable cause whatsoever!
So, don’t hold your breath when the State discards
“Constitutional Rights”… because when it boils down to it:
“The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.”
-Thomas Jefferson
October 30th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Good for her! It’s good to see someone finally fighting this generalization of a rule.
November 14th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
…I’d hit it!
November 30th, 2007 at 9:37 am
If you don’t like the policies in the ResHalls that have been in place for many years before you moved in, don’t live there. No one is forcing you.
The ACLU….please. This is like someone not reading the fine print at Best Buy and complaining that they charged for fees they never heard of. Don’t sign a contract if you don’t agree with it.
It’s a ludicrous statement to say this violates freedom of speech; the college is free to set rules that don’t violate your rights to an extent that doesn’t overrides the constitution if integrity or safety is concerned. Yes, the first Ammendment you like to quote is important, but the policy is “no objects in the windows”- period. THAT supersedes your so-called rights. I have been to several universities nationwide and MOST have the exact same policy. It seems on one hand that students are sheltered and really don’t understand the way things work and on the other only want what they want.
Year round, I got warnings for lights being too close or other things too close to the window. These warnings were because they fell when I wasn’t there and “touched” the windows. I remedied this because it was the agreement I signed. Holidays don’t go unnoticed. I put up window clings and had to remove them, as did everyone. I agree everyone should be treated the same.
Bottom line is, not everything is done to restrict or prohibit rights. The college is a business as all colleges are and are allowed to set rules.