Editor,
I have found my walk past the SUB on my way to classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays are less stressful than they have been in the recent past.
First, I assumed there must be a simple explanation for my calm demeanor. I must be having great bicycle rides in the mornings, or I’m not too behind on my homework.
How I love walking around on the beautiful campus when the sun’s out, people are happy, smiling and friendly.
What? I can’t hear you! Hold on, let me turn down the music. That’s it! I haven’t been barraged by the unnecessarily loud, disagreeable noise on my way to class in a couple of weeks. Techno Guy must have been the culprit of the distracting moments of anxiety in between my classes every Tuesday and Thursday.
What an amazing relief to hear the birds in the trees again and to be able to stroll to class calmly instead of dreading my usual shin-splitting, marathon walk past the SUB in order to keep my wits about me.
It is one thing to want to “broaden people’s perception of music and inspire New Mexico’s musical culture to develop.” I agree with this notion. But it is not ethically justifiable to disregard each individual’s choice and right to take classes, work or even visit a state university campus without ongoing offensive background music. I choose to listen to all different kinds of music from underground hip-hop to old-school country and western, jazz, rock and roll, salsa, Balkan and blues, among others. There is a time and place for all genres of music, so I’m not going to close my mind to any of the broad categories.
Our University serves nearly 26,000 students, employs roughly 1,500 faculty and numerous staff — ranging in ages, backgrounds and cultures — all of whom have equal rights. I’m sure many people at UNM are interested in musical diversity, and probably appreciate the chance to hear various kinds of music. Our campus is public, after all, and this means it is open to everyone. However, there is a protocol for setting up displays, having talks and making speeches, as well as giving away free food at UNM. The standards of each formality must be upheld in order to protect the University’s learning environment. Just think how much more effective you can “spread your vibe” if you do so in a respectful manner. More of us might be more accepting of Techno Guy’s electronica if we knew when to expect it on campus, where we can go to listen, and for how long we could anticipate the show to last.
Natalie Olson
UNM student
