Student organizations on campus are expected to participate in certain activities, serve certain purposes and abide by the regulations set forth.

Twice a year, in the fall and at the end of the spring quarter, each student organization on campus, no matter how large or small its membership, is required to re-register with the Student Activities Office. This registration process presents the university with a list of which groups are active.

The International Socialist Organization (ISO) has failed to hand in their registration since the fall of 2001. The ISO had been operating unregistered for a year, undetected. The Student Activities Office investigated the group’s status once illegal flyers were spotted off campus.

Once the group’s status was looked into their access to the student center and other privileges were suspended. By not registering for over a year, ISO lost their right to schedule rooms and tables, and hold meetings.

ISO blames the university for its suspension siting its recent anti-war protests as the reasoning for the university’s actions. Whether or not ISO is involved in anti-war protests is not a factor in the eye of the Student Activities Office.

This is not a matter of free speech in any way. It is instead a matter of paperwork and responsibility, not censorship. Threatening acts and protests are not a means of resolving issues at hand.

Student groups should know what responsibilities they must attend to in order to be active. To use the resources the university allows, the group must first abide by the university’s regulations.