On Monday, October 16, 2023, the University of Minnesota Law School will welcome Amy Coney Barrett to the stage at Northrop.

Nominated in 2020 by President Donald Trump, Amy Coney Barrett, 48 years old at the time, became the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the youngest Supreme Court justice since 1991. A native of New Orleans, she was the top student in her Notre Dame Law School class. Barrett also served as a professor at her alma mater and a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals (Seventh Circuit) before her appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Beyond her impressive career and educational background, Amy Coney Barrett is best known for her right-wing political views, which include, among other things, her stances on abortion, health care, the Second Amendment, and religious liberty.

While undoubtedly qualified to speak at the University of Minnesota, perhaps even overqualified, she still faces opposition from students due to her conservative stance. Whenever a Republican is invited to a college campus, it inevitably sparks controversy among students.

When the University of Minnesota Law School first announced Justice Barrett’s appearance on September 6, 2023, the school’s Instagram post received 334 comments, most of which were statements from angry, liberal students.

“You should probably cancel this.” – Dylan Schofield

“You cannot post about celebrating Pride Month (as you did on 6/1), brag about my class being 28% LGBTQ+, and talk about DEI and belonging while supporting someone who actively fights for the dehumanization of a quarter+ of your students. Who approved this?” – Kristin Boynton

“How is this still happening? What a slap in the face to so many students.” – Sarah Klas

In an attempt to uninvite Amy Coney Barrett, some students have gone so far as to sign a petition calling out the University of Minnesota Law School and the Board of Regents. The petition, led by the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), has already collected 354 signatures. Members of the YDSA plan to educate others on Barrett’s stances on previous court cases, such as Roe v. Wade.

According to the University of Minnesota website, the college aims to “seek new knowledge that can change how we all work and live” and is “conscious of and responsive to the needs of the many communities it is committed to serving.” Despite these being part of the University of Minnesota’s mission statement, many people tend to overlook these policies when they do not align with their personal beliefs or desires.

Individuals are not obligated to like or support Amy Coney Barrett’s presence on campus, just as they were not obligated to support Ilhan Omar’s visit back in 2021. However, there appears to be a trend of canceling individuals who hold conservative beliefs within college culture over the past few decades.

When a college professes to support multiple communities, this support is not limited to communities divided by sex, gender, or race. It should encompass communities based on beliefs, religion, and passions. Instead of shying away from ideas that do not align with the norm among most college students, colleges need to embrace the ideas of these often-overlooked groups to remain true to their mission statements.

At 4:00 p.m. on October 16, we will witness firsthand how supportive the University of Minnesota is toward the communities it serves, particularly the small, but still existing conservative community on campus.