Spring in Moscow usually means strange weather, music blaring on Greek Row and plenty of graduation nerves.
For our newsroom, spring means something a little different. Each year, our staff gears up to cover what matters most to students.
What we like to call “protest season,” the second semester of each year brings out the passionate side of students. Facebook events, signs and marches are all just a few indicators of how passionate this campus can be.
Earlier this week, the Collegiate Reformed Fellowship group brought controversial speaker and pastor C.R. Wiley to Moscow. The lecture, titled “Toxic Matriarchy,” raised questions surrounding what happens when the title of motherhood dominates the patriarchy.
Quickly, students and community members of opposing viewpoints assembled over social media. While some decided to stray away from the controversy, others took the Monday evening event as a way to share what they believe in head on.
While UI’s Agricultural Science Auditorium was filled to the brim with protesters and audience members interested in Wiley’s thoughts, even more people stood outside the room.
Many people wondered why the university would even bring such a speaker and topic to a rather open-minded campus. However, these sorts of conversations — no matter how uncomfortable and exclusionary they might be — are taking place every day.
UI President Chuck Staben sent out a campus-wide email Monday, explaining that the university only provided a venue for the talk but did not sponsor the event.
There is most definitely a fine line between speech that can damage and speech that does not resonate with all people.
We don’t condone the kind of speech that diminishes women and people who identify as female. And we hope these kinds of ideas don’t become the norm.
These events can be difficult to see come to campus, especially when they don’t align with the broader views of the student body. But the freedom to share ideas and thoughts is important. It is our hope these less-than-comfortable conversations bring out action, change and passion, which happened this week.
Even with the downpour of rain and lack of space, people made their voices heard at this event. They showed tact and solidarity, even when emotion could have gotten the best of them.
So keep bringing the action and passion, Vandals.
— Editorial Board