By Avery Boulware, Campus Carrier News Editor

Bailey Albertson | CAMPUS CARRIER

Berry students aren’t strangers to chalkings. Political chalk writings, especially those endorsing Donald Trump, have been popping up on sidewalks all semester. But on Sunday night, the most elaborate chalk drawings of the semester appeared in front of McAllister Hall. 

Photos of the chalkings were uploaded to Twitter via an anonymous account, tagging #thechalkening and @OldRowOfficial, a conservative Southern account.

Wednesday night, members of LISTEN wrote encouraging messages on sidewalks around campus. Writings included phrases like “Love is love” and “You are special.”

“We want the positive to outweigh the negative,” said senior Ashlyn Foskey. “We want people to support the positive. We want it to be simple, because that’s what love is. It’s simple.”

Students have approached Berry administration, calling the chalkings hate speech and demanding that they be removed. 

Junior Marcus Ghee published a Facebook post outlining his concerns. 

“What the administration and the people who want the chalk to stay seem to not get,” Ghee wrote, “is that this is not a matter of differing political opinions. This is a matter of discrimination.

Earlier this week, students covered up the political chalkings with colorful drawings of flowers and positive messages. Near the crosswalk between Krannert Center and McAllister Hall, students wrote why they chose Berry and what they love about the campus and community.

Together, Dean of Students Debbie Heida and SGA president Teddy Palmer released a statement to the Berry community explaining where they stand.

“Berry does not endorse any particular political opinion,” the statement read. “We do want our students to feel safe and at home here.  However, silencing political views that we do not like is a form of censorship that creates an unwelcoming campus in a different way, one that says you are free to express your opinions only if they are in agreement with mine.”

Ghee agrees that freedom of speech is important, but challenges the platform of public chalk writings.

“When you put it there as large as they did, so publicly as they did, you kind of give off that we all support that, and that’s not a fair assumption,” Ghee said. “If you want to do it on Facebook, write an article and post it, that’s your right to do that. But to put it on such a public space where we have to interact with that, that’s not really fair to everyone.”

Senior Julia Adkins, head of the Berry College Republicans, said that BCR had nothing to do with the chalk drawings. The organization believes that, with the exception of hateful or dangerous language, freedom of speech is worth protecting.

“For the most part for what the chalk has said, we don’t think it’s a problem,” Adkins said. “We think it can be very rude but it’s not worth taking down.”

Adkins also said she appreciates that, in general, Berry is making an effort to be politically involved.

In response to the discrepancy between free speech and hate speech, Heida said that defining these terms are sometimes fuzzy, and just because something is hurtful does not mean that it is necessarily hate speech. 

“Am I defending what someone said?” Heida said. “No. Am I defending someone’s right to say it? Yes.”

According to Heida, conflict is healthy on a college campus. It is also important to let everyone express his or her opinions and learn to “agree to disagree.”

However, she appreciates that students want Berry to be a welcoming place where no student feels threatened. She encouraged students defending others’ honor.

“Say it more,” she said. “Say it louder.”

Cecily Crow, director of student activities, sees the “chalkenings” as an opportunity for healthy student discussion. The drawings have brought to light questions concerning freedom of speech, safety and security for all students, as well as overall stress about the presidential election.

“How do we use this to come together and have good, honest dialogue instead of resorting to chalk?” Crow said. Together with the VOTE committee, Crow is brainstorming responses to this and other questions brought into focus with the coming election.

Crow also worries about how the outside world is viewing Berry because of the drawings.

“It’s not indicative of who we are,” Crow said. “But there are assumptions being made outside the Gate of Opportunity that this is the worst place in the world. And that hurts me.”

 “Berry does not endorse any particular political opinion,” the statement read. “We do want our students to feel safe and at home here.  However, silencing political views that we do not like is a form of censorship that creates an unwelcoming campus in a different way, one that says you are free to express your opinions only if they are in agreement with mine.”

Ghee agrees that freedom of speech is important, but challenges the platform of public chalk writings.

“When you put it there as large as they did, so publicly as they did, you kind of give off that we all support that, and that’s not a fair assumption,” Ghee said. “If you want to do it on Facebook, write an article and post it, that’s your right to do that. But to put it on such a public space where we have to interact with that, that’s not really fair to everyone.”

Senior Julia Adkins, president of the Berry College Republicans, said that BCR had nothing to do with the chalk drawings. The organization believes that, with the exception of hateful or dangerous language, freedom of speech is worth protecting.

“For the most part for what the chalk has said, we don’t think it’s a problem,” Adkins said. “We think it can be very rude but it’s not worth taking down.”

Adkins also said she appreciates that, in general, Berry is making an effort to be politically involved.

In response to the discrepancy between free speech and hate speech, Heida said that defining these terms are sometimes fuzzy, and just because something is hurtful does not mean that it is necessarily hate speech. 

“Am I defending what someone said?” Heida said. “No. Am I defending someone’s right to say it? Yes.”

According to Heida, conflict is healthy on a college campus. It is also important to let everyone express his or her opinions and learn to “agree to disagree.”

However, she appreciates that students want Berry to be a welcoming place where no student feels threatened. She encouraged students defending others’ honor.

“Say it more,” she said. “Say it louder.”