Up until 2008, the Free Expression Tunnel was a safe-haven for students’ opinions and protests; however, ever since the threatening hate speech regarding President Obama was painted onto its walls in 2008, the University saw the need to fix the issue of offending others by free expression in the tunnel.

The harder the University, students or campus organizations, attempt to fix the problem it continues to get worse. The tunnel should be returned to its original purpose of being a place for students to express themselves in a wild art form.

The issues around the tunnel always arise when a racial slur is painted in the tunnel, but what about all the other offensive language and insults put in the tunnel? If the University raises the alarm over one insult they should do it for all of them; unless they simply allow the students to do what the tunnel’s sign says- express themselves.

The plea for discretion on the sign before entering the tunnel is all the University should do when it comes to discouraging hate speech, allow students to make their own decision of what they wish to paint in the tunnel.

The more upset students and faculty get about the opinions expressed in the Free Expression Tunnel, the more this controversy will increase. The views expressed in the tunnel should not be taken as anything other than what it is—free expression.