...K P F T news

LEAD-IN BY HOST ROBERT CARDENAS: XXXXXXXXXX

STORY: "Students from all walks of life, all ethnicities coming together to unite on an issue. .. the issue of war on Iraq. An issue that everyone in this room is definitely, definitely. concerned about..... you know, how powerful is it to have a coalition in Houston amongst students? [We've seen rallys on the east coast and the west coast. We're the fourth largest city but we're in the south. That's what makes this important.] And the passion in this group, that's what makes this important."

That was SANKOFA Pan-African student organization representative Anza Becnel, describing the University of Houston student organization Students United for Peace during a meeting on Wednesday. The SANKOFA organization came up with the idea to form solidarity with other groups against the war, and the idea -- with the right amount of publicity - transformed into a diverse coalition of over 14 student organizations from the University of Houston and a few from other local campuses. The coalition will host its first rally on Monday, Nov. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at UH's Lynn Eusan park, an area west of the University's hotel and adjacent to the University Center.

Students United for Peace secured a permit from the University for amplified sound when they first began to plan the event. The University of Houston's Freedom of Expression policy outlines four locations on campus where students can gather and use amplified sound from 11:30 to 1 p.m. or from 4 p.m. until midnight. The students involved soon became concerned not only with the war, but also the University policy's restrictions on time, manner and place in expressive student demonstrations.

[Monica Granger, a member of the UH Libertarian organization, spoke out at a recent organizational meeting:

"Well the extended time issue should have never arrisen because the free speech is not something that should be limited to particular times of the day on this University campus."]

Following the University's procedures, Students United for Peace had a meeting with Dean of Students William Munson to try to get an amplified-sound-extension for the rally. Munson denied an extension based on the number of groups that Students United for Peace had confirmed last week. Munson also denied an extension yesterday when the coalition submitted documentation showing that the number of UH student groups involved had risen from 4 to 9.

The UH Freedom of Expression policy was recently rewritten to allow for an appeals process with Vice President for Student Affairs Elwyn Lee. Today, five UH students and KPFT News met with Lee and discussed the case for extending amplified free speech. Lee considers allowing such expression on campus to be a balancing act:

"The core of the University is of course academic enterprise, core of that is classes. . . on the other hand, at a high enough decibel level, could reach classrooms .. so you have to be able to conduct your primary enterprises. When the original decibel level was set, trying to take in those considerations."

The policy sets the decibel level at 90 for an hour and a half. After considering Students United for Peace's appeal request, Lee decided to grant an extra 90 minutes to the group as long as the latter part stays under 75 decibels and the group faxes him proof of the 14 UH student organizations involved. The decision sets a new precedent for the University, and is the first appeal ever heard by Lee. Munson was quoted in today's Daily Cougar as saying there has never been an extension granted.

Students United for Peace student Becnel responds:

"When they can hear you, they can come and see what we are doing... very important.. a toold... a weapon."

The appeals process for the policy was enacted shortly after a federal lawsuit was filed against the University by the student group Pro-Life Cougars. The lawsuit arose when the University would not allow the group to use Butler Plaza, a space in the middle of campus in front of the library, as a place for its hosting of the pro-life Justice for All group's approximately two-story exhibit of photographed aborted babies. The student group was able to host the exhibit in March of 2001, but the next fall, they were denied access to the same space they previously held. In response, the student group sued the University about two and a half months later, alleging the University violated their first amendment rights. The lawsuit is the first of its kind to challenge recently established "free-speech zones" at American universities.

[Pro-Life Cougars chairwoman Sherree Tullos, who was instrumental in bringing her groups lawsuit against the University of Houston, agrees that the University does not have the right to prior restraint. She said her organization recently held a concert which was cut off after the 1 p.m. sound deadline and that po0lice officers were instructed to use force if necessary to end the event.

"First of all, it takes an hour to get students to come out, to realize you're having something. It doesn't matter how much you advertise at UH, its hard to get students to come to stuff. With our concert, just when students were starting to come out, Zack Copeland, the director of Campus Activities he came out and said shh.. he cut it off, he come out and stopped us."]

Brandon Moeller, KPFT News, Houston.

[Brackets denotes content that was edited out of broadcast because of time constraints.]

E-mail Brandon Moeller at Brandonmoeller@hotmail.com .