Red Square’s “free speech zone” designation has been an easy way to foster debate on campus. Give students the freedom to voice their views, and they will usually take care of the rest. But the system does require a few controls. Otherwise, Red Square’s various capacities as message-board, canvas, stage, stump, science-fair-project-presentation area, etc. eventually threaten to swamp us all in used posters, old chalk dust and other by-products of unrestrained communication.
So scheduled cleanings of our collective zone of collegiate catharsis are in order. “Scheduled” is the key word. Just as the most devoted dental hygenist probably wouldn’t enjoy being surprised mid-meal with a mouthful of Listerine, vocal students shouldn’t have their opining unexpectedly interrupted by the actions of impromptu flyer removal squads or hose-toting maintenance staff.
Still, problems persist. After chalking Red Square in anticipation of the Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program weekend, a group of students from GUPride and Georgetown Solidarity Committee stayed up all night guarding the chalking. Shortly after 6 a.m., facilities employees paid them a visit, to wash Red Square, according to chalker Maria Moser (CAS ‘05). The students present refused to abandon their efforts to facilities’ hoses; the facilities employees eventually called the Department of Public Safety. And though the situation was eventually defused, future conflict seems inevitable unless this extremely simple situation is resolved.
While the Student Handbook does note students’ right to chalk the square’s bricks, it doesn’t specify when or even if Red Square will be hosed down. According to Director of Facilities Management Rich Payant, it has been Facilities’ policy to clean Red Square early every Monday and Friday morning for the past two years. While Friday is an odd time to clean Red Square-it can stop groups from using the empty square late Thursday night to prepare for Friday’s crowds of visitors-any reasonable time is fine so long as students are made aware. In future, the information should be included in the handbook. For now, Facilities should publish the cleaning schedule, so students can get back to doing what they do best.
