Why Are You on my Campus Trying to Rage Bait Me?

Graphic by Téa Sklar

Last week I was in the middle of my weekly Newhouse humiliation ritual, filming in public for a class. As I was setting up the camera in front of the Syracuse sign, trying to get the perfect shot while accounting for the midday grey Syracuse skies, I turned my head slightly and was greeted with four people across the street holding pro-life signs.  

They had big signs with what I can only feel is intentional graphic images with captions like “we are all created equal.” Just blatantly untrue.  I was proud as some of my fellow students approached this group and started having a debate with them, a quote I even heard from one guy talking to them was, “Don’t you think it’s kind of crazy to compare abortion to the Holocaust?” But this cemented a question within me. Why are there so many of these people on college campuses now? Why are they trying to debate with me as I walk to class? 

This is a new thing these days, around 10 years ago the only protests or debates at colleges across the country were between the students and the University. To this day, these protests still happen; however, a new thing that came out of nowhere are these non-college students coming on campus to debate polarizing topics. There are so many examples of this trend, one of the most popularindividuals being Charlie Kirk, going to college campuses to give out his opinion where it was, frankly, unwanted.  

 This era of rage bait on college campuses began for a multitude of reasons, like recruiting young students for their cause, understanding the campus climate of the issue and starting political divisiveness. While I do believe that there is a possibility these people on the street corner could be adding to the political divisiveness of the issue by asking students passing by to debate them, I can’tprove it without talking to them. 

 I do believe that it’s a mix of that along with recruiting young students. I mean, you see this kind of stuff everywhere these days. The Marshall Street preacher has been passing out prayer cards for years, not because he wants to cause division but because he wants to recruit you. It’s exactly what these people and all the other people you see on TikTok with a sign and microphone in hand want from you. They find comfort in knowing they get under your skin and making you crack. It’s how they broadcast to others around you that their point is better because they keep the upper hand. This is no longer debate, it’s  a warzone. 

I am a believer that everyone has the right to free speech; I think when people have important things to say they should scream it. But these scenarios are less about the debate and having a conversation, and more about having that “gotcha” moment when your opponent trips up their words. I mean we’ve all seen the clips circulate our TikTok feed with the bold lettering, “Liberal Teen Owned!” The debate is no longer something of good faith.  

I think that’s why I never approach these people. Every so often I get the video up on my page where people with signs and microphones beckon people walking by to stop for a chat. It’s always someone screaming or insulting one another.  

It’s unfortunate what debate has come to. It’s no longer about the interest of the argument, but about who gets emotional first.  Theres also a part of me that questions why they are here, across from my school, with a sign dedicated to arguing for pro-life. They could be at a Planned Parenthood saying what they need to there. No, they are on one of the most popular sidewalks on campus. It makes a person wonder what they are trying to achieve at this moment, if they are trying to have a proper dialogue or cause discretion.  

When I’m heading to class, I’m taking the quiet, alternative, approach; my middle fingers up in my pocket, knowing that I don’t support them by not letting them know they got to me.