Showerthought: Our student group got a banned speaker on campus by calling him a 'historical reenactor'

The dean blocked our invite to a political writer, citing 'security concerns', so we re-filed the request for a 'First Amendment history talk' with the same guy listed as a performer. It worked, and 80 people showed up before the school caught on. Has anyone else found a silly loophole that actually got a talk to happen?

3 comments

3 Comments

dixon.amy2mo ago

Paperwork judo" is the perfect way to put it. My buddy got a whole film screening approved by calling it a "cultural light refraction study," which is just a fancy way of saying they used a projector.

craig.drew2mo ago

Love the creative thinking, that's some next level paperwork judo. The school admins probably saw "historical reenactor" and pictured a guy in a wool coat making candles, not a political speech. Makes you wonder what else you could get approved with the right label, like calling a debate a "structured improv comedy workshop".

joelgrant2mo ago

Oh man, that's the real trick, isn't it? I once got a "community outreach mixer" approved... which was just me and my friends watching a game at the bar. The key is sounding boring and official. A protest could be a "public space utilization study," and a poker night is clearly a "probability and risk assessment seminar." It's all in the label.