Technician - Free Expression Tunnel Debate

Tunnel to remain in student hands

Despite negative incidents, tunnel an integral part of campus tradition

The Free Expression Tunnel, which officially opened as a service tunnel in the 1930s, has served as N.C. State's sounding board for student ideas and student organization announcements for more than 40 years. Full story

Photo by Dreier Carr · © NCSU Student Media 2009

Free Expression Tunnel is place to embrace all opinions

OUR OPINION: The Free Expression Tunnel is a place to freely express oneself.

The Free Expression Tunnel has seen a lot of controversy this year. Four students wrote racist and threatening comments about President Barack Obama Nov. 5 and a person or people wrote offensive comments about the late women's basketball coach Kay Yow and breast cancer on a mural dedicated to Yow in late January.

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From the Kay Yow Mural Artist

The reaction of the University to the recent events involving the Free Expression Tunnel has been good, but it could be better. Rather than questioning whether the tunnel should be here or not, we should focus on ways to make the tunnel better and find ways to promote diversity while allowing room for free speech. Full story

Free Expression Tunnel Not Free

N.C. State’s Free Expression Tunnel has been in the news too much the past several months. The two incidents most discussed have been the racial hate speech the night of the Presidential Election and the defacing of a tribute to basketball legend Kay Yow the night of the State-Carolina home basketball game. Both actions were truly reprehensible. Full story

Task force seeks to unify campus

Part of N.C. State's character has come from the Free Expression Tunnel. Through history, it is clear that the tunnel has allowed for students to speak about international issues, such as the Vietnam War to less political topics regarding upcoming student events. Full story

University should not monitor tunnel

On the plaque outside the Free Expression Tunnel, prominently displayed in gold letters below several lines of fine print, are the words “Express yourself!” But after what Chancellor James Oblinger called “hateful language” has been written on the tunnel’s walls twice in four months, the University has painted a new picture of the tunnel – one that seems to proclaim anything but “Express yourself!” Full story