by Lauren Fletcher

As much as universities may encourage the right to expression, not all campuses are as welcoming to free speech as they often portray. One aspect of higher education I’ve always considered is the desire to be challenged and to learn beyond what you believe. With political polarization at its highest, freedom of speech and expression on college campuses falls under a microscope. Students continue to fight over ideology, protest guest speakers, and become polarized through encouraging censorship. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro isn’t an exception to this. 

Students with a vast number of ideologies make up UNCG’s campus, though this often leads to conflict or censorship. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, is dedicated to defending American rights to freedom of speech and thought. FIRE ranks and scores universities and colleges across the country based on how free students feel to express themselves. UNCG has a score of 60.8 out of 100. Thousands of students took their survey; of those students, 73% said that shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is at least rarely acceptable. 42% said using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is at least rarely acceptable, and 50% said they feel like they must self-censor a few times a month on campus. 

An anonymous student from the class of 2025 even stated, “in my first semester of college, another student spoke up about gender fluidity and questioning the validity of it. I had similar thoughts, but the teacher was very quick to dismiss the student’s questions in a demeaning manner that made it clear the student was wrong for having that opinion.” Unfortunately, possessing a minority opinion has and continues to cause self-censorship in fear of repercussions or fear of being shamed.  

UNCG has a large liberal student body, often enforcing the need for censorship among more conservative students. A debate I’ve seen played out in multiple classrooms and debates consists of the belief that conservative speakers shouldn’t be allowed to speak on campus. UNCG’s chapter of the Young American Foundation (YAF) hosted Ben Shapiro in 2022, as he spoke on gender dysmorphia and his stance on LGBTQ+ issues. While some students took to a peaceful protest on campus, others attending his speech fired insults disguised as questions towards the speaker. During his speech, “Men Cannot Be Women,” a student attempted to correct Shapiro’s sources and fired with additional comments such as, “you sound like a bozo bro, and you get no pussy, and you can’t even make your wife wet.” Comments such as this one do not benefit or shed light on your beliefs, but only continue to support negative ideas regarding more liberal ideologies. The conversation shifted as more questions were asked, including questions about the media’s role in polarization and how best to understand someone with differing views in an argument. Questions addressing polarization aid students and the community in minimizing the gap between parties and insults only add fuel to the fire.   

Students have joined together in response to polarization, through organizations and clubs that focus on having tough conversations. BridgeUSA is a multi-partisan student-based movement that supports viewpoint diversity, responsible discourse, and a solution-oriented culture. The BridgeUNCG chapter, founded in 2023, is a place for casual group conversations on multiple socio-political issues. BridgeUSA has also formed a triad alliance with Braver Angels and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) to host debates across the country to depolarize the nation. Through College Debates and Discourse Alliance fellows, moderated debates are being held on multiple college campuses, including UNCG. One of the common sayings from these organizations is, “listen to understand, not to respond.” Between BridgeUNCG and future Braver Angels debates, UNCG students are attempting to tackle the problem of political isolation and censorship. 

While politics may not be an interest to many students, it does affect us directly: taxes, job availability and healthcare. Society cannot change or improve without the voices of new generations and their involvement, and nothing productive comes from shouting matches. Learn about each other, reach across the aisle, and you’ll learn that beyond political views, are fellow students.