Sidewalk chalk can provide student organizations a cheap, easy and accessible means of advertising, but the use of it has been banned on Miami University's campus since the beginning of the 2007-08 academic year.
Matt Forrest, associated student government (ASG) off-campus senator, has been working with Katherine Wilson, senior director of student engagement, in hopes of amending the student handbook to allow the use of sidewalk chalk on campus.
"I don't see any legitimate reason (for the ban on sidewalk chalk), and nobody's really presented a legitimate reason," Forrest said. "I think (administration) has a legitimate reason to want it to be a little more moderated, rather than having students write whatever they want, wherever they want."
Forrest said as a result of numerous faculty turnovers in recent years, a lot of people who worked in student affairs at the time of the ban are now gone.
Wilson was unable to give a definitive reason for the ban on sidewalk chalk. She spoke with other staff in student affairs as well as physical facilities, and the best answer she could find for the rule against the use of sidewalk chalk is that it made the campus look trashy.
Forrest said that during the 2006-07 academic year, it was permissible to use sidewalk chalk on campus, but organizations were no longer able to do so the following year. He feels the ban on sidewalk chalk should be lifted.
One organization that would benefit from the ability to use sidewalk chalk is Miami University Students for Life (MUSFL), according to MUSFL President Rachel Barga.
Barga said MUSFL has been running an ongoing campaign, Abortion Breaks Tiny Hearts, and that many of the sheet signs and fliers they post are torn down and vandalized, even though the group makes sure to hang them in appropriate areas.
"We always hang three bed-sheet displays, which are really expensive to make," Barga said. "It's about $75 each time, and they usually get stolen within two or three days."
Barga said the vandalism is not restricted to the advertisements MUSFL posts about their campaign.
"When we try to advertise for events, it's a lot more difficult to put advertisements out there," Barga said.
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Barga said being able to advertise for group events using sidewalk chalk would not only benefit MUSFL and other student organizations financially, but it would also improve their communication with the student body as well as the overall look and feel of campus.
"Maybe with chalk, people would be more willing to write their opinions next to it … I would much rather have that than have our side be completely muted," Barga said. "And I think it's kind of cool too –– it creates an environment of engagement and real student enthusiasm."
The issue of student groups being unable to use sidewalk chalk has been raised several times in ASG meetings, and Forrest is writing a piece of legislation to formally address it.
"The legislation would hopefully get across that we as students see chalking as advertising that provides students an outlet that's cheap and accessible," Forrest said. "We'd like to see it move forward as something that could happen on campus on a more moderated scale."
Wilson supports Forrest's efforts, but stresses the proper channels must be followed in order to amend the student handbook, which include having the proposal approved by the Campus Planning Council and the Student Affairs Council.
"I support it, but I respect that there's a university process that it needs to go through,"
Wilson said. "The power is in the students advocating, and I think that's a powerful part of the process."
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