Above the threshold to Northrop Auditorium reads the script: “The University of Minnesota, founded in the faith that men are ennobled by understanding, dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth, devoted to the instruction of youth and the welfare of the state.” As a student, when I read these exalted words, I am reminded that the University’s great purpose is primarily to be a forum of knowledge. Its campus is a marketplace of free speech, shared ideas and open dialogue.

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