Music brings out different emotions in people. Some like it loud, others prefer it cool and mellow.

It's no wonder, then, that students pumped up an angry jam last week when the local, five-member American Family Association preached the value of playing classical and Judeo-Christian music in the dining halls.

Stating a musical preference is anyone's right. But trying to impose a view on all students living in dormitories goes beyond the boundaries of free speech.

Members of the AFA said songs about sex, drugs and other "awful things" desecrate the values of our country. Consequently, they said, these songs should not be played in the dining halls.

Everyone will not enjoy all of the music played, but that is no reason to cater to one view. Playing solely Christian music would bring religion directly into the dining halls. What some students consider "sewage," others may enjoy.

Music in the dining halls comes from local radio stations; it is considered mainstream music. If students think a station is not sensitive to their needs, they should petition the programmer.

In any case, these students appear to have a minority view with their complaints.

As of last week, the Residence Hall Advisory Board said it had received four complaints about music played in the dining halls. The majority of students apparently are satisfied with the current music status or do not care.

The University has started to provide survey forms for students eating in the dining halls, asking what music they prefer to hear. If many students do want more varied music, then switching the stations played makes sense. But when the issue is simply a matter of preference, bowling to the pressure of four people is ridiculous.

Regulating music along Christian value lines also erases exposure to other religions, cultures and politics. Often contemporary music merely reflects society's problems. Images of world hunger, a decaying world and the homeless fill the lyrics of much of today's popular music.

Johann Sebastian Bach and Amy Grant's greatest hits are fine, but even classical pieces often are based on "awful" themes of war, adultery and unrequited lust. Rock music is not alone in these messages.

Attempting to force one group's religious beliefs onto another accomplishes only resentment and anger. No real advantage accompanies an imposed change in musical tastes.