NC State is famous for having several individuals that speak out on campus to express their personal religious beliefs. While NC State has policies in place that regulate these Brickyard preachers’ jurisdiction, many students have expressed discomfort with these orators.
Because of House Bill 527, which intends to restore/preserve campus free speech on North Carolina college campuses, such preachers are allowed under certain circumstances.
NC State is a public campus, so preachers are not trespassing in the eyes of the law and are allowed to walk around. For some students though, the things the preachers say make them uncomfortable.
Zaina Khader, a first-year studying nutrition, expressed her discomfort with the preachers that she has encountered while walking around campus.
“They can be a little bit unpredictable and sometimes you can hear a preacher before you can see one,” Khader said. “I see some occasionally just walking around, but I haven’t seen any actually preaching recently which makes me wonder if they stopped.”
Khader expressed her concern on the possible situations that can occur if one of the preachers were to have crossed the line.
“It doesn’t bother me too much because students can just turn their head and ignore what the preachers are saying, but the problem is when an individual student is singled out and spoken to harshly by one of them,” Khader said.
Reflecting back on things she has seen on campus, Khader said she thinks that sometimes preachers can cross the line.
“I remember once that some people had set up anti-evolution pictures,” Khader said. “They weren’t exactly preaching but it made me wonder where they came from and if they were in relation to the preachers on campus.”
Zach Seitz, a first-year studying communications, said he saw a group on campus advertising an anti-abortion campaign passing out brochures filled with graphic images of abortion.
“I don’t personally believe in what they are advertising but I do believe they have a right to do so within reason,” said Seitz. “It comes to a point where such imagery disturbs the peace and actually pushes people away from what they are advertising rather than pulling them in.”
Seitz says they should be allowed on campus as long as they do it legally and do not harm students.
“It’s for their own good,” Seitz says. “They should fear for their own safety if they keep pushing that line because some people might get angry with them.”
Michael Ferrante, staff attorney at University Student Legal Services, discussed different university policies set in place that govern whether preachers are allowed to use space on campus.
“There are university policies on the use of space at the university and also about solicitation.” Ferrante said. “There are first amendment issues as well. The university has time, manner and place restrictions which are generally allowed as long as they are not arbitrary or selective content.”
Subsection 5.4 in regulation 11.55.02 states “a Non-University Group or individual’s use of space must be sponsored by a University Group, Student Group, or Student.” Whether or not they have to be sponsored by a club depends on the activities of these preachers, such as if they want to hold an event on campus.
The policies make a differentiation between university individuals, including students, employees, student groups and non-university individuals, which has to do with the priority of reservation of space.
Any violations of these regulations can result in criminal charges.
