Free Speech at WCC: Oppressed or Expressed?

Political activity on college campuses has been on the rise throughout many major institutions across the country, but has WCC’s campus followed those same trends? 

For a variety of reasons, WCC’s inclusion and support for free speech activities, also known as “expressive activities,” seems muted, with space and guidelines for protest or free speech difficult to access.

WWU Protest on Gaza Genocide
Students at Western Washington University camped out for two weeks in May 2024 on Old Main Lawn as they waited for responses from the university’s Board of Education about their request to “cut ties with genocide.” Photo by Charlie Henton

What do Expressive Activities Look Like on a College Campus?

According to Texas A&M University, an expressive act is defined as “Any speech or expressive conduct protected by the Amendment to the United States Constitution and includes assemblies, protests, speeches, the distribution of written material, the carrying of signs, and the circulation of petitions.” 

Western Washington University (WWU) offers this insight into how expressive activities are held on campus. WWU allows expressive activities in “limited public forum areas.” These limited public forums are “spaces for freedom of expression and peaceable assembly as protected by the Constitution of the United States and the Washington state Constitution, subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions.” (WAC 516-35-001(3))

Expressive activities are protected and allowed on WWU’s campus unless they violate university policies or law, even when the speech or protest includes words or actions that some find objectionable or very offensive. Examples of allowed activities include:

  • Speaking, chanting, and singing.
  • Chalking on the ground in Red Square or in other spaces in compliance with STN-U8650.01B.
  • Holding a sign in front of one’s person (as compared with holding a sign in front of someone else without their consent).
  • Engaging with a speaker, as to ask questions or try initiating conversation if the speaker chooses to be engaged, invites questions, etc.
  • Wearing clothing that communicates a message.

Actions that interfere with Western’s operations or disrupt others’ rights to engage in expressive activities are not allowed. In accordance with state law they also adhere to certain restrictions:

“reasonable limits on expressive activities to ensure that such activities do not interfere with university operations or other people’s legal rights. These are called “time, place and manner” restrictions. Time, place, and manner restrictions on speech are consistently applied regardless of the content or viewpoints expressed in the speech.”

In an interview with Joanna Kenyon, an English faculty member at Whatcom Community College and advisor for the Horizon, she shared insights into the process of organizing protests and political speech on campus. 

Kenyon explained that “the best place [for students] to start if they’re interested in that would be through the Student Life office.” She also mentioned that students might seek help from the Intercultural Center, which hosts community forums and events.

For non-students or mixed groups, the process is more complicated. 

Kenyon outlined that they would need to contact Rocky Vernola, head of security at Whatcom: “Somebody who’s interested would contact her and would fill out a form of some kind.” 

Kenyon explained that protests are restricted to three designated areas on campus to prevent clashes: “The goal with that is that you can have a protest and a counter-protest but not in the same space,” in order to prevent people from shouting at each other or other escalations. 

There are also restrictions on visual imagery, particularly after controversial anti-abortion protests: “Visual images likely would be limited in size.”

What’s the Point of Expressive Activities?

From the civil rights movement to the call for climate justice, students have repeatedly used their collective voice against injustice. Throughout history, college campuses have been well-known for activism and protest, as the way of sparking some of the most significant social and political changes. 

And today, protests on university grounds are a beacon of hope and a reminder of the power of the youth movement.

From the anti-war protests on campus in the 1960s to today’s social justice marches, we can see that activism has a long history, including efforts for LGBTQ+ rights in the 1990s as well as environmental sustainability in the early 2000s. Looking back, these movements have inspired students today, who see their collective actions might make a difference for the future.

Edward Chatterton – a history instructor at Whatcom Community College since 2008 who holds a passion for engaging students in difficult questions and allowing for a free exchange of ideas – shared his insights on the rise of campus protests and their impact on American history.

Chatterton emphasized that “the right to peaceful assembly is fundamental” and compared it to both historical and modern demonstrations. When discussing the significance of campus protests, Chatterton connected them to the long tradition of American protests and the protections of the First Amendment.

However, he acknowledged the challenges in defining what “peaceful assembly” means on campuses, as schools often set guidelines to manage protests responsibly.

In sharing one of the most influential protests in history, Chatterton points to the 1968 protests at Columbia University as the most important moment in student activism. During those protests, students occupied campus buildings to protest the Vietnam War, which also led to the forced closure of the school. 

In the aftermath of the protests, the police were called in, as the use of force and weapons to stop the seemingly violent actions that followed served as a turning point in the backlash against student protests (see accompanying article by Annette Townsend). 

While these protests did not immediately end American involvement in Vietnam, they were a powerful demonstration of how disruption works and brought national attention to the antiwar movement.

Chatterton emphasized that while not all campus protests achieve their immediate goals, they often spark meaningful discussions and promote lasting change. 

One WCC student Jay Brethal seems to agree. She explained that she feels raising awareness for the problems at hand is important, regardless of the level of impact: “People will understand the problems more.”  

Chatterton also highlighted the diversity of students who participate in these protests as a major strength. At community colleges like Whatcom, the mix of ages, backgrounds, and experiences creates a rich environment for dialogue. For example, he noted that “a 16-year-old sitting next to a 40-year-old” can lead to valuable learning opportunities for both. He explained that this diversity increases the impact of campus protests by bringing different perspectives to the conversation.

As both a historian and educator, Chatterton values the role of campus protests in promoting critical thinking and civic engagement. He sees these protests as opportunities for students to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world issues. 

By “asking the hard questions and challenging norms,” Chatterton explained, students can deepen their understanding of societal challenges. “This process,” he added, “not only enriches their educational experience but also equips them to navigate the complexities of the world beyond campus.”

How Expressive are We Currently at WCC?

These expressive acts can help fuel change during tumultuous times for oppressed classes. Alternatively, expressive acts can oppose change that people feel is counterproductive.  But can WCC’s student body also fuel change with acts on its own campus?

When asked about how successful protests and political speech are at WCC, Brethal observed that it “doesn’t do much,” and it “feels like it’s not making an impact, but it’s better than nothing.” 

Brethal said she wished there was a bigger focus on Palestine support protests, so she could support this cause while on campus. 

Brethal pointed out that having family concerned with their relatives attending political protests can be a hindrance to students. She feels that many students only have access to protests that happen on campus, rather than around Whatcom County as a result. 

Faculty member Kenyon noted that Whatcom’s policies, while intended to ensure safety, may unintentionally deter political expression: “It feels sometimes like the process deters students and deters protests from happening on campus.” 

Locked Community Bulletin Board
This WWU closed bulletin board requires administrative permission for posts to be included. Photo courtesy of Finn Epoch

Some of this concern for safety may have happened in response to acts of hate speech that appeared on campus public bulletin boards, which is why campus bulletin boards are closed for general posts that have not been approved by the Office of Student Life and Development. 

Brethal too noted a concern for hate speech and acts of protests of a similar caliber. She feels that it can be easy to cross a line between political speech and hate speech. One example she gave was an anti-abortion protest that was not seen well in the eyes of students. Brethal felt this protest was “against human rights.” 

That said, unpopular points of view are covered by free speech regulations to the same caliber that popular viewpoints are. Protecting free speech of any kind means protecting free speech for everyone. If the WCC campus hopes to see more room for protests and political activity, they would need to prepare to see views they disagree with appear as well. 

Kenyon compared WCC’s careful approach to free speech to the one at Western Washington University, stating, “Western Washington University has a more robust conversation and availability for protests on their campus.”

Open Community Bulletin Board
By contrast, this public bulletin board outside WWU’s science building is open for anybody who agrees to WWU community standards. Students themselves can take down posts that trespass the community standards, such as by using hate speech. Photo courtesy of Finn Epoch

WCC RIO Student Completion Coach Joelle Weisel, who previously worked at WWU, also compared WCC’s approach in comparison to WWU: “we were allowed to gather in Red Square, without any forewarning. It was a public speech area and there weren’t any repercussions if we did it.” 

When asked about how she felt WCC is doing when it comes to protecting free speech, Weisel said that free speech is protected systemically, but if students on campus wish to protest, they do not feel that they can say what they want to say. 

This may have to do with what the administrative process of holding a protest at WCC actually looks like: 

For students at WCC who wish to voice their opinions and protest on campus, their process involves navigating through WCC’s website to find out how you are allowed to protest on campus. This form can be found by going to the “About WCC” tab, then selecting the “Policies & Procedures” subsection, clicking on “Board Policies & Administrative Procedures”, before then scrolling all the way to “Item 160 Use of College Facilities (Chapter 132U-140 WAC) (formerly 2180)” in order to know how to protest on campus. 

For the sake of comparison, you are able to find out the rules for expressive acts such as protesting on WWU’s campus after making a simple search on an internet browser regarding expressive acts on WWU’s campus

Not only can students not find WCC’s page on expressive acts on campus by a simple search on the internet, students need to navigate the website itself to find it. 

The Horizon staff also struggled to get into contact with the security office at WCC to ask about what is allowed and what isn’t on campus should students wish to protest. 

Do We Need to Make More Space for Expressive Activities?

While the lack of expressive activities on campus could be due to a number of reasons, such as public apathy, the busy lives of students, or a lack of interest in political issues, It appears that the issue at hand might be at least partially due with how well information is provided to those interested in public free speech.

If the website were to make their policy page for expressive activities of all kinds more visible and easily accessible, this may change some people’s views on the school’s policy with expressive speech. It could also encourage students to voice their opinions on campus and become more involved with the school itself.

This might help the campus community continue to recover after the exodus of students from campus life during the covid pandemic lockdown.

Reflecting on the past decade, Kenyon observed a decline in protests at Whatcom, citing the challenges posed by COVID and a lack of formal protest spaces: “COVID put a complete kibosh on public displays of all kinds,” but “I have never seen a protest on campus and I’ve worked here for 15 years.” 

Kenyon also mentioned some political clubs that had existed in the past but have since faded: “I know there was a Democratic Socialists Club that existed for one or two years, but that was maybe about ten years ago.”

Kenyon concluded by acknowledging that free speech at Whatcom still occurs, particularly through the Horizon and the Intercultural Center, though she believes the campus could do more to facilitate open political expression.

In the meantime, students can make a case for this change if it’s what they’d like to see. The ASWCC still encourages groups to form clubs and hold various activities on campus, the SIC holds regular “Talkin’ Stories” community events, and The Horizon school news publication accepts both articles and letters from WCC community members. If one has a political issue they’d like to see addressed at WCC, then it’s time to find supporters and organize!

This article was written collaboratively by Chance Loewi, Charlie Henton, Linh Dau, Annette Townsend, and Tyler Kuniholm. 

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