How do you fight an idea? This is the current fight the university is involved in. The idea is the renaming of Catt Hall.

The university has several tactics to fight the renaming. The first thing they did was ignore it. They hoped it would just die and go away. This only works if the people behind it are not dedicated or serious.

Another way is to half-heartedly listen to the other side and then reject them after you say that you listened.

The university tried this too when they arranged for a mediator to discuss the issue, but the university made a mistake when the discussion never took place.

Recently the university has allowed the renaming of Cyclone Stadium to appear to be on the way. ISU is a clever animal. After previous efforts at silencing the movement they gave them something else. They gave them something close to what they wanted but still did not give in.

Now the university can say “See we changed the stadium name, we are sensitive to multicultural issues, NOW GO AWAY!” That didn’t work either.

The last step you take to fight an idea is to oppress it. To oppress is defined as ” to subjugate or persecute by unjust or tyrannical use of force or authority. To overwhelm or crush” as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary 2nd college edition.

It now appears that ISU has taken this approach as evidenced by the charges that will be brought up against the students who participated in the town hall meeting in Beardshear Hall.

They are being charged with “unauthorized use of a university building.” To me this sounds like a joke.

What did the students do that was so wrong? Did they set up shop inside the building in order to make a profit? Did they shut down the building so no work could take place? Or did they force the issue of Catt Hall to be heard again? That is why they are prosecuted.

The university will say that order must be maintained and that there are appropriate places to do their first Amendment thing but the fact of the matter is that the rally was denied and the university would just ignore other protests.

If every protest was authorized I doubt our country would be where it is today.

Will the university learn that the only way to rid itself of this issue is to take it seriously and have heart-to-heart talks and debates with the Movement’s leaders and followers.

If the university is truly a place of higher learning, why can’t the university learn from past mistakes?

Dean Plueger

Junior

Political Science