'Speak Up, Speak Out' panel to discuss academic freedom, equal education
The "Speak, Up Speak Out" panel discussion series will examine safe spaces and free expression at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
The upcoming forum, titled “Safe Spaces/Free Expression?: How do academic freedom and equal education coexist?” will include a panel consisting of faculty, staff and students: Joshua Smith, philosophy and religion faculty member; Christi Brookes, chairperson of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures; junior Bellal Ammar; and senior Autumn Gairaud.
The event is sponsored by the College of Communication and Fine Arts, the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, Pi Sigma Alpha and the Office of Diversity Education.
Gairaud said the panel will introduce each issue with a video that will get people to think about safe spaces and free expression. The Waterford senior also hopes and expects people will bring different perspectives to the panel on Tuesday. She encourages students to come join the discussion.
“We learn from each other with different views. You see both ideas,” Gairaud said. “A big part of the event is to engage the audience and have civil discourse."
Each forum has a video to introduce the subject, then the panel will discuss the issues. The idea of the event is to let students have a safe space to discuss social and political issues they might find important to themselves.
Audience members are encouraged to participate in the discussion as well.
