Late last week, The Ohio State University banned the use of sidewalk chalk on campus. The ban includes all outdoor greenspaces, like the Oval (read more here).
As a formerly-proud OSU alum, I am embarrassed by my university’s fear of free speech and expression. It’s weak, cowardly, and pathetic. Not to mention its questionable legality.
As OSU’s student newspaper — The Lantern — reported in 2003, the Oval was never originally intended to be considered university property.
Instead, campus buildings were purposefully circled around the massive greenspace to organically create “a sociable atmosphere and central meeting area.”
Ask any OSU student or alum about “Oval preachers,” and you’ll learn that this outdoor greenspace has always been a magnet for public expression of (sometimes outrageous) ideas.
A free speech crackdown, therefore, flies in the face of the intent of Ohio’s flagship university.
The chalk ban is also just the latest and most egregious in a long line of efforts to stifle free speech and expression on campus.
Over the past few years, OSU has steadily been removing students' protest rights, as well as their ability to speak openly in public spaces in pretty much any capacity.
In 2024, the university released a new set of “space standards” that severely restricted the protest and free speech options students had enjoyed for decades.
They banned overnight protests, long-term protests, and sit-ins.
They also began arresting and criminally charging peaceful protesters who use any form of sound amplification — even in vast, outdoor spaces.
Perhaps longtime professor Keith Kilty said it best in his scathing letter to OSU president Ted Carter:
“During my 29 years as a professor at OSU, I helped to organize many rallies and demonstrations, where we used sound systems so that we could be heard, and those were at all times of the day. Yet now, under your leadership, we are to be silenced and denied our right to speak?
Earlier this year, I personally experienced students’ new lack of freedom when I spoke at a student-planned protest against Ohio Senate Bill 1.
A huge crowd of students, educators, alumni, and concerned Ohioans gathered on the OSU Oval for the peaceful protest.
Students had even obtained an official permit to hold the event, but we were still treated like criminals.
Police surrounded the crowd the entire time, and told us they would break up the event if any form of sound amplification were used.
This was infuriating, because no one beyond the first few rows of students could hear any of the scheduled speakers.
I’m certain that the unnecessary police presence also scared many students away from joining our peaceful gathering — or even approaching to learn more about our cause.
Students eventually chose to split the massive crowd into two large crowds. Speakers attempted to run between the two circles to address both groups.
That was my first real glimpse into life on campus under its new rulers.
Protests have been part of The Ohio State University’s culture and history since almost the very beginning.
This recent crackdown on expression is an embarrassing disgrace to the university and every one if its alumni.
Here are two photos of me from 2008. 18 years old. Chalking the Oval at Ohio State for Barack Obama.
I was obviously an imminent threat to everyone around me. Look at all those terrified students in the background.
If you can get to OSU campus anytime in the future, take some children’s sidewalk chalk with you.
Write the words to the First Amendment. Write about free speech and free expression. Use a “banned substance” to let students know their rights are being taken away.
I also highly recommend joining/following the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Ohio State chapter. They are doing incredible work to fight back against attacks on student speech.
Want to do more? Contact the university and threaten to end your donations and other support. Make clear that you intend to be very public about your decision.
Let’s show them what Buckeye Nation can do when someone like Ted Carter makes a mockery of our school.
It occurs to me that a large, spontaneous gathering of students chalking pro-free-speech messages on The Oval would be very hard to police.
As I would never advocate the violation of any university policy, I sincerely hope no group of students would take up such an initiative by distributing chalk and collecting phone numbers, sending mass texts to coordinate such writing at unpredictable times. That kind of activity could make a mockery of this university administration's out-of-touch edicts, and - I shudder - could go so far as to *normalize* free speech on campus!
FINALLY a university administration doing something about the scourge of chalk on OSU's walkways!
As an OSU alum, for many long years I trekked across campus, my eyes singed and scoured by the constant chalky reflection of university event and student group meeting invites. It was unbearable!
So gratified by this development am I that today I'm founding the "Thank You OSU for Banning Chalk" organization to support President Carter and the university administration against any attacks on their bold initiative by shills like Rachel Coyle.
I intend to be interviewed by The Lantern to present a rousing defense of the chalk ban. Suppose someone were to write something controversial, in direct violation of our great Ohio Senate Bill 1 Sec. 3345.0217. (A)?!
We will next pursue the destruction of department bulletin boards, and book burnings. Let's also have the Governor deploy National Guard troops on campus, that's never gone wrong in Ohio.