On Wednesday, Oct. 16, traveling preacher Jessie Morrell visited the Oswego State campus leaving many students feeling uncomfortable and confused about who is allowed on the Oswego State campus and what they can say. 

Morrell upset some students by preaching his beliefs regarding same-sex marriage and confronting a same-sex couple who kissed in front of him.

“I felt that his intentions may have been a little bit misguided and that he feels very strongly in something and that he is pushing his opinions on people that he knows don’t care to listen,” sophomore political science major Rylee Collea said.

Collea is friends with the couple who was confronted and believes that more should have been done to stop the harassment.

“I think the school should say, ‘Hey you can’t say those kinds of things to students here who are paying for an education,’” Collea said. “It would be nice to have that kind of voice from an institution that we pay to go to.”

The Oswego State Student Association drew criticism during public comment at the Oct. 29 meeting, where senior anthropology major Chelsie Scott called on SA to do more to protect Oswego State students from harassment.

In an email interview, Scott pointed out that, “the school states on their website that the best way to handle a bias related incident is by filing a police report as this will ensure proper investigation. There is no police report and the police refused to allow any report of harassment to be made.”

Scott believes that the harassment policies need to be addressed and that it was not the administration that handled the situation with the preacher, but instead students. 

“It took eight days and several meetings with administration for President Deborah Stanley to make a statement. In review of past incidents, I am seeing that both the Student Association and President Deborah Stanley have responded nearly immediately to similar events,” Scott said. “I have been told from both SA and the administration that they are actively working on this. However, unless they are transparent then, to the students, they are doing nothing.”

Oswego State President Deborah Stanley released a statement emailed to students on Oct. 24.

“I am asking that each of us remember people may use words to hurt us, but as a community response we can reach out with respect and understanding to provide care, comfort, and solace to one another. We can, individually and together, stand for justice and change—actively seeking to create a better world for today and tomorrow,” Stanley wrote in her message.

SA President Takeena Strachan said she and SA are working to provide programs for students to help them understand their Free Speech rights and what life will be like once they leave the Oswego State campus. 

“We are really working on different programs and different practices to really help benefit the student body. Not only in the aspects of their first amendment rights but also in just life in general, of what’s going to happen when you take that next step off of this campus,” Strachan said. 

Appendix B of the college free speech policy gives students suggestions on how to effectively respond to controversial speakers with whom they disagree. 

Associate professor in the school of communication, media and the arts Jason Zenor, who helped write the free speech policy, said he was proud of the way students handled themselves in response to the preacher.   

“I was there when he was out there and I was quite proud of students who were speaking back, they didn’t turn to violence, they were sharing their opinions and thoughts,” Zenor said. 

The College Republicans club also took a stance to promote free speech on college campuses. The club was standing outside the Marano Campus Center on Oct. 30 asking people if they would like to exercise their right to free speech by writing anything they please on a giant beach ball. 

“You can write whatever you feel, so people have been talking about their professors, people have been talking about politics, people are plugging their snapchats and their names, but it gives the opportunity for the campus to come together and rally around a common cause,” said College Republicans vice president and sophomore broadcasting and mass communications major Wyatt Fulton. 

Zenor explained that he believes free speech is important on college campuses so that “your ideas are shared and you are challenged,” adding, “the best response to this speech is often more speech.”

Graphic by Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian