On Tuesday, Villanova’s campus was greeted by a small group of Christian protestors outside of Bartley Hall. They spewed a number of vitriolic statements attacking groups ranging from women to Muslims. Odds are, if you spent enough time listening to them, you would fall in to one of the groups condemned to hell by the mouth breathing protestors. Unfortunately for the observers, the protestors did not have the mental bandwidth to come up with new material since their visit last school year.

Because the sidewalks are public land, the protestors are allowed to hold their ground. Not only do the protesters disrupt cross campus traffic, but they also interrupt classes in Bartley. Luckily, once the University is aware of the protestors’ prescence, they send over a group with speakers blaring music louder and louder until eventually the protestors leave.

It seems that the protestors are hoping for a physical confrontation with the student body. Given the large presence of both Radnor and campus police, a physical altercation seems unlikely. The question of how the student body should respond to the bullhorn toting bunch is an interesting one. Most students pass by snickering at the pathetic barkers. Others linger and ponder their options to silence the vile remarks. It is a strange predicament to have the loudest people on campus be people with no affiliation to the University, yelling things that have zero support.

Perhaps the best option for those who want to counteract the protestors would be to bring their own bullhorn and run counterprogramming.  Last year, some students drove by blaring music to drown out the protestors with some success. However, both these tacts give them more attention. Attention is their oxygen. We recommend not altering your behavior and acting as if they are not there. Ignoring them does not imply that you condone the behavior. Hopefully will disincentivize them from returning. Don’t worry loud music will force them out soon enough.