FREE SPEECH ZONE, OR SCARCE RESOURCE. A homework problem in the Alchian and Allen University Economics series invokes a student protester who claims the university's denial of a room reservation is an infringement on free speech. The problem asks the student, "Explain how the argument confuses free resources with free speech."


Perhaps the problem arises with the designation of free speech zones. Each fall, the traveling preachers come to Northern Illinois to remind the students that they are fallen and bound for hell (this is before semester grades come out, mind you) and for each fall, there exists at least one counter-demonstration.

The demonstrators were forced by University Police to leave the Commons at 2 p.m., as they did not have a permit to demonstrate at that particular time and place. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship had the Commons reserved from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., but was unable to begin its planned event with the demonstration taking place, said Casey Beckley, campus staff worker for InterVarsity.

InterVarsity contacted Student Leadership and Development, which then contacted the UP, said junior special education major and InterVarsity member Shannon Pugh.

The demonstrators relocated to another area and spoke in front of a smaller crowd for the next several hours.

Reservations for the MLK Commons are made through the Student Involvement and Leadership department. Jan Smith, reservationist for student organizations, said the group did not have the area reserved, stating that she had “no clue who they are.”

The university rule that restricts free speech to a zone smaller than the football field manufacturers the scarcity in such a way that the University Police have to enforce the property rights to it, at a time when the visitor center has repeatedly opted to conceal bad news that involves the police in, well, clearing crimes.