Location tracking, 'Sex Fest,' and 'free' tuition: The most-read stories of 2020

Campus Reform is taking a look back at the most read stories of 2020.

Stories that made the list were location tracking tracking at Mizzou, a "Sex Fest" at Indiana and universities, and calls for "free tuition" for Black, native, and indigenous students at California State University.

Check out the ten most-read Campus Reform stories of 2020 below.

1. Mizzou students required to install location tracking app so college can ‘pinpoint’ them

New student-athletes at the University of Missouri were required to participate in a program that tracked their locations in order to record class attendance. The school defended the decision, saying that the program was only required for less than 2 percent of students. Other students were able to opt-in to the location tracking program. 

2. Students want debt canceled and admit taxpayers would foot the bill

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats introduced a plan to cancel student loan debt. Campus Reform asked students their thoughts on the proposal, prompting them to admit who would end up footing the bill. 

Watch the video by visiting Campus Reform’s YouTube channel. 

3. Dean fired after saying ‘EVERYONE’S LIFE MATTERS’ in email

The nursing school dean at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell was fired after sending an email in which she stated “everyone’s life matters.” A university spokesperson later told Campus Reform that the school acted in students’ “best interests” by ending the dean’s employment. 

4. Indiana U defends, then cancels, ‘Sex Fest’ featuring BDSM demos, ‘kink’ and ‘sex toys’

Indiana University Health Center’s “Sex Fest” just days before Valentine’s Day in 2020 prompted outrage after video surfaced showing an individual being publicly whipped. Amid outrage over the university-sponsored event, IU canceled the final day of “Sex Fest.”

Watch the video by visiting Campus Reform’s YouTube channel. 

5. Young Americans know nothing about 4th of July

Campus Reform asked students leading up to the Fourth of July basic questions about the holiday and its history. A disturbing number of students, however, could not answer. 

Watch the video by visiting Campus Reform’s YouTube channel. 

6. Constitutional law prof faces backlash after questioning Kamala Harris VP eligibility

Chapman University constitutional law professor John Eastman penned an op-ed in which he questioned what makes someone a “natural born citizen,” as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. He did so in the context of evaluating Sen. Kamala Harris’s familial background; namely, how her parents both immigrated to the U.S., where Harris was then born. However, Eastman faced significant backlash and claims that he was perpetuating a new kind of “birtherism,” similar to what former President Barack Obama experienced. 

7. Texas A&M prof: ‘Good news’ Gohmert got COVID, hope ‘fat klansman’ Trump & Pence ‘get it too,’ like ‘stupid’ Herman Cain

Texas A&M anthropology professor Filipe Castro wrote on his personal Facebook profile that it was “good news” that Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) contracted coronavirus, and said he hoped that President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence would contract the virus as well. Castro made the comment just days after former presidential candidate Herman Cain, whom Castro called “stupid,” died from coronavirus complications. 

8. California faculty demands ‘free tuition for all black, native, and indigenous students’

The California Faculty Association called on California State University schools to provide “free tuition,” but only for students who are “Black, native, or indigenous,” in a list of demands they intended “to condemn white supremacy.” 

9. Rutgers prof: ‘F*ck each and every Trump supporter’

A women’s, gender, and sexuality studies professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey claimed in a tweet that White conservatives do not care about Black people’s lives, saying “F*ck each and every Trump supporter.” The comments came as the country began to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

10. Young Americans willing to give up First Amendment rights to avoid offending others

Campus Reform asked students if, given how schools were policing students’ social media accounts to monitor for comments deemed inappropriate, they would be willing to give up some of their First Amendment rights to avoid offending others. A disturbing number of respondents said they would be willing to do so. 

Watch the video by visiting Campus Reform’s YouTube channel.

Follow the author of this article on Facebook: @JonStreetDC and Twitter: @JonStreet