Students were given the opportunity to express their opinions on issues impacting Nicholls at the free speech alley held on Monday in front of Bollinger Memorial Student Union. The event marked the 220th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution and the beginning of Constitution Week on campus, sponsored by the Student Government Association and the Department of History and Social Sciences.
The theme for the free speech alley was “Exercising Your First Amendment Rights.” Students were given the opportunity to speak from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; however, few students took to the podium.
SGA President Olinda Ricard encouraged students to take the microphone and speak on any issue that was of concern to them. This was an opportunity for students to complain about things on campus, Ricard said. If no one had anything to say then she would assume that students had no complaints about the University.
Some students voiced their concern about the current parking conditions at Nicholls. The students talked about the price of a parking decal and the lack of parking on campus.
“I feel that Nicholls is moving outward, but Nicholls needs to move upward,” Timbria Polk, nursing junior from Roswell, Ga., said. “Nicholls should get parking garages to get more parking on campus. We need more parking spaces.”
A student spoke about his faith to the crowd of students gathered outside the student union.
“I love Jesus Christ, and he loves y’all back,” David Lewis, biology sophomore from Houma, said.
According to Ricard, the SGA has created a free speech alley group on the Facebook Web site. The group is open to everyone, and students can post their opinions about issues that are affecting them on campus. Currently, the group has more than 120 members.
Some issues that have been discussed on the Facebook free speech alley group include complaints about parking on campus, the meal plan price increase, the location of graduation in Stopher Gym and the University takeover of the La Maison du Bayou apartment complex.
