R. Shep Melnick—the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. professor of American politics—recently submitted an op-ed to The Heights titled “Our Free Speech Problem.” In his op-ed, Melnick observes the “disturbing” reality that “too many students are afraid to discuss controversial topics, and a significant minority think they are justified in preventing those they disagree with from…
The Parliamentary Board of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College denied UGBC President Christian Guma’s petition to either dismiss a resolution scheduling his impeachment trial for Tuesday or to immediately reconvene the Student Assembly (SA) to debate the resolution again.
After an impeachment resolution was sponsored against him for a Facebook post, Steve DiPietro resigned from UGBC, and Matt Batsinelas joined him in solidarity against what they claim to be a Student Assembly intolerant of differing viewpoints.
“I hope this letter lends readers a more holistic context as to why, after this election, many on this campus are left more than a little unsettled, and quite frankly, angry.”
“If you supported diversity of opinion, you’d have spoken out against those who harassed Batsinelas and Mancini, who actively supported different opinions on campus, for breaking from commonly accepted beliefs during their campaign last year, or perhaps you’d have condemned the individual who asked friends to literally treat Michael Proietta like a toilet because of his ‘controversial’ opinions.”
“While DiPietro should have found a more constructive and civil way of communicating his point, diversity of opinion is a very important facet of a deliberative body with symbolic power among the undergraduate population.”
