Tag: free speech week

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Free Speech in College and Beyond

As I previously mentioned, my first year in college has been the first time I was aware of Free Speech Week. The University of Oklahoma put effort into organizing events and making statements to raise awareness for the week. Historically, there are many examples of when college campuses have been centers for free speech. I talked to one of my peer mentors, Chris Firch, to unpack the role free speech plays in a college education. 

Chris did not participate in any of the campus-sponsored Free Speech Week events, but he is aware of it. He feels comfortable speaking his mind freely, and he expressed to me his appreciation for the rights we have regarding this. During college, the things we learn help grow this respect. Chris gave me a recent example from his own life.

“I’ve been watching these North Korea documentaries which made me appreciate the blessing of free speech in our country.”

Chris has witnessed several instances of free speech during his time on campus. He has seen protests on the South Oval ranging from topics like pro-life and pro-choice to the conflicts in Palestine. 

“I would say the reason we go to college is to educate ourselves on real-world issues,” he reflected. “The right to protest and speak freely on the south oval really encourages free thought.”

As a campus tour guide, Chris has had to explain this to visitors to OU’s campus. Whenever a protest or activist event is occurring while Chris is giving a tour, he does not shy away from mentioning it. 

“Even if it can be polarizing at times…it’s important to value knowledge and hear the different perspectives.”

This is all part of the college experience. 

“Adults have their minds made up a lot more clearer than college students do,” Chris explained. “Freedom of speech is so prevalent here in college…it’s the first time we can experience so many backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures.”

As college students are exposed to so many different perspectives, they also have the opportunity to access quality content to help shape their interpretation of the world around them. Whether it is hearing from professors or student government leaders, learning from literature and textbooks, or staying caught up with campus and global news, college is full of opportunities for accessing quality information. All these aspects contribute to another freedom that is firmly dependent on freedom of speech.

“Freedom of thought…[it] is so valuable. Freedom of knowledge and actually getting accurate information is so powerful.”

Keep an open mind. Be a lifelong learner. These are important lessons that extend far beyond our time in college, and they will allow us to celebrate free speech every day of our lives. 

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Free Speech Across the Board

Free speech is significant across many different areas of our lives. Some of these connections are more obvious than others, but Free Speech Week allows us to stop and consider all different aspects of this freedom. I talked to several of my professors this week to find out more. 

Dr. Lindsay Marshall is my instructor for gateway to belonging. This required freshman class seeks to help freshmen find their place at OU and foster a sense of community and belonging here on campus. Dr. Marshall shared with me the role free speech plays in creating spaces of belonging.

Being able to speak our minds without restriction from the government is important.

“That’s crucial to us being able to find belonging to each other,” Dr. Marshall explained. “When institutions of power determine how we engage with each other, it ensures that we can’t be our authentic selves.”

This authentic self is something we discuss in class quite frequently. However, Dr. Marshall expanded on this: there is a level of responsibility that comes with free speech if it is going to be truly capable of extending belonging to all. 

“Freedom to speak is not the freedom from consequence.”

Being reckless with our speech is just as dangerous as an institution controlling our speech. Luckily, if we respect the value of free speech, we can learn to wield it responsibly. 

On a more personal note, Dr. Marshall explained what free speech means to her.

“It’s important to me because I think decent is one of the most crucial tools that we have for seeking a more just society.”

Next, I spoke to my environmental studies professor. Dr. Rebecca Sherry gave me some examples of the role free speech plays in environmental issues. Once again, this topic lined up very well with what we had already been discussing in class. 

“I have a few examples within this lecture,” she told me after class. “Some substance was banned or regulated, but in most of these cases, initially the press was heavily involved. A journalist made people aware of issues with particular chemicals or substances.”

This is generally true for all types of environmental issues. 

“Getting information out there that can sway public opinion has been important to a lot of environmental regulation.”

The right to free speech allows people to raise awareness whenever something is not right in our society. 

When I asked Dr. Sherry what free speech means to her, she acknowledged that she had never thought much about it.

“Since I never felt I didn’t have it, it’s hard to say.”

Upon further consideration, though, she had an answer for me.

“Any improvement always starts with talking about what’s wrong, so the ability to criticize our government…it’s absolutely necessary to improving life.”

I found this really insightful. Free speech is something we often take for granted. This is why Free Speech Week is important. It causes people to slow down and appreciate what we have.

With this in mind, the last professor I talked to was Christina Audas. She has lived in many countries around the world. I wanted to find out if she had experienced life in places where freedom of expression is more restricted than it is in the United States. 

In some of the places she has been, Professor Audas was aware of a difference in expression.

“I’d say there’s more fear of oppression to speak freely…I don’t think folks feel as emboldened…I don’t know if that’s because there’s actual lived experience of violence happening, or if it’s just part of the culture.”

American culture puts a lot more emphasis on free speech than some other parts of the world. It’s up to us what we do with this. Professor Audas uses this to encourage understanding across cultures. Respect is an important part of utilizing free speech.

“If I hear someone say something in class…I try to use those opportunities,” she explained. “We need to create spaces of humanity.”

As you go through the rest of your week, take time to think about the many areas of your life that are affected by free speech!

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Tavana Farzaneh on the Importance of Free Speech

How does free speech affect our community on campus? How can we uphold the values of free speech on our campus? To answer these questions, today I talked to OU’s student body president, Tavana Farzaneh. 

Tavana’s office is located in the union in a section I’d only been in once before. I pretended not to be a scared little freshman as I knocked on the door to talk to someone of great importance. However, after being greeted with smiles and a lot of love from a tiny dog, I realized I didn’t need to worry. Tavana is a student here just like me. She is eager to talk to anyone and is full of encouragement. However, with her position, she has had many experiences that have given her first-hand examples of the importance of free speech. 

“Within the Student Government Association, free speech is huge,” she told me. “Especially in congress, it’s important that you are able to express what you believe freely.”

With so many backgrounds on campus, people may disagree. As long as it is not hateful, these conversations can be used to make our university a better place. 

“Because I love [the university] so much, I can criticize and improve this place as much as possible, and free speech is a huge way to do that,” Tavana told me. 

This potential for improvement is exactly what makes free speech important. We need to have the space to criticize the university and not be in fear of retaliation so the things that need fixing get fixed. It won’t ever be perfect, but when we express issues and work together, we can shift the culture to make continuous improvements. 

As student body president, Tavana carries a huge responsibility when it comes to free speech.

“I think understanding that everyone has their own voice, but it’s just that some people’s voices are heard louder than others.”

Tavana sees it as her job to amplify the voices of students who often go unheard.

“I have the power and the privilege where I can express that for them,” she said. She gets to use this to give others space to speak. 

“My responsibility is to put aside my personal beliefs and make sure that I recognize someone whether I agree with them or not…try to make sure everyone’s voice is really heard.”

Tavana encourages others to speak freely and to speak loudly. 

“There’s been times whenever I’ve spoken up about something where I’ve had tears in my eyes, and I’m actually shaking.”

However, this vulnerability is sometimes what it takes to make change happen.

Respecting the opinions of others is another important part of effectively putting free speech to use. 

“If you learn to be able to disagree with people but have this positive discourse, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing…look at someone else’s perspective and understand where they’re coming from.”

In doing this, Tavana has learned patience and understanding. These have allowed her to be the advocate her peers need. She knows how to speak up for herself and for those around her. These are qualities we should all keep in mind when we stop this week to appreciate the true power of our right to free speech.