Students who have walked through the Student Union in the past few weeks have undoubtedly noticed the non-campus affiliated groups, which have been granted access to Southeastern’s campus for their own purposes. Often times pervasive and occasionally incendiary, these groups lead students to question their right to access Southeastern’s campus.

Southeastern’s university policy on public speech, assembly and demonstrations recognizes the importance of freedom of speech and expression on matters both controversial and noncontroversial. Yet Southeastern maintains that these freedoms are not absolute and that colleges have a long-standing history of being able to regulate the time and place where groups may demonstrate. These outside groups are carefully regulated to maintain the integrity of education that Southeastern provides.

Southeastern’s regulations include a two-hour time slot per demonstrating group. The groups are allowed one two-hour period per seven-day week, commencing on Monday. Further restricting the non-affiliates’ access are location guidelines. There are only three places where these demonstrations may take place: the Student Union Annex steps, in front of the Pennington Student Activity Center and the Presidential Plaza, the area north of the Student Union that includes the Hurricane Memorial Fountain.

“Public assembly, discussion or demonstration shall not disturb or interfere with any program, event or activity approved prior to the public assembly, discussion or demonstration,” states the Southeastern policy. “[It] shall not unreasonably disturb or interfere with normal operations and activities of the university.”

The campus police, who must provide officers to stand watch at the demonstrations, have another take on the matter.

“We have to do some extra work when they come, but they’re rarely a problem,” said O’Neil De Noux, an investigator with the University Police Department. “The only problem that we could ever see is that they’re incendiary to our students. It’s not anything we cannot handle.”

One of the more controversial groups, the Consuming Fire Fellowship, has demonstrated at the Louisiana State University regularly and comes to Hammond when their schedule allows. The fellowship finds it more difficult to demonstrate at Southeastern because they are more stricter policies.

“We have preached at Southeastern occasionally, but the policies at Southeastern are a little more strict so we have to observe the time frame and there is not always an opportunity,” said Pastor Britt Williams, who leads the Consuming Fire Fellowship congregation.

Some students find that when for groups such as the Consuming Fire Fellowship the university policies are not strict enough.

“It was like a spectacle of close-minded intolerance,” said Lucienne Christman, a sophomore art major. “It’s almost a selfish thing, a bunch of people shoving their beliefs down the throats of passerby’s just so they can sleep a little better at night.”

Despite the sometimes offensive nature of these demonstrations, Southeastern President John L. Crain made it clear that the rights to freedom of speech and expression as provided by the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution cannot be infringed upon.

“Universities are particularly sensitive to [the right to free speech] because the universities are supposed to be a place where people can express a variety of opinions,” said Crain. “It’s part of the educational process.”