Lighten Up

A witch and broom during a performance of the Wizard of Oz. 

   "Where is the Wiccan class?" I said.
   The question was directed at two college students. The women worked a reception desk at a college in Massachusetts.
   "What's a Wiccan?" one of the students asked.
   "Something to do with witches," I said. "I'm photographing the class for a newspaper article."
   I don't know much about Wiccans. From what I've read, some of them practice witchcraft. Others do not. The women didn't know where the Wiccan class was meeting.
   One of the women smiled at me. "Take my picture!"
   "Got a broom?" I said.
   The women didn't laugh at my joke. They cringed and looked both ways, hoping nobody heard me. The women whispered that wasn't cool to make those kind of jokes at the college.
   I've read that speech codes stifle expression at colleges. That exchange bolstered my opinion that colleges need to lighten up.