Originally media frenzy connoted the behavior mass media organizations exhibited over a particularly controversial item of news. But Thursday morning at the corner of 1230 North and Canyon Road, media frenzy simply meant the media were the only ones in a frenzy over Soulforce.
While the Equality Riders quietly walked around the perimeter of campus, most students went about their schedules almost oblivious to what was happening. For a group that seemed so concerned about reaching the student body, Soulforce seemed preoccupied with posing for the camera.
The press conference Thursday had all the feel and appeal of a scripted play. Everyone knew exactly what would happen, Soulforce told the media exactly what they planned to do. Even though they said they were not seeking a confrontation, we knew one was coming. Even though they said they were not looking to be arrested or cited, we knew which of the Equality Riders would cross from public sidewalk to BYU property. BYU administrators candidly stated they would not allow the group to use BYU as a platform for their hobbyhorse issue.
As a result, BYU police officers loaded Kourt Osborn and his mother Karel Allen in a van and escorted them back to their hotel and issued them a citation for trespassing. Neither the officers nor the Equality riders were discourteous to each other. Both groups acted civilly - one could even say reverently. But when the press conference ended, it was plain to see the event was more about showmanship than about achieving Soulforce's stated objective - dialogue.
It is true BYU administrators declined the group's request to return to campus this year. That decision severely limited the group's ability to initiate dialogue with BYU students, but it came as a direct result of the group's predilection to smile for the camera. The Equality Riders were still able to talk with students as they circled campus on their demonstration walk, but it was a paltry number compared to the number they could have reached had they shown some degree of respect and deference to the school's policies last year, but that would only be practical if they were genuinely interested in engaging the students.
We don't discount the seriousness of the debate they desired to initiate on campus; we only question their methods' effectiveness. In the end, BYU didn't ban Soulforce from campus. Soulforce barred themselves from campus. But it didn't seem to upset them. There were still plenty of cameras to fawn over them.