The issue of free speech has, over the past year, become a highly charged one on college campuses across the country. Free speech — once seen as an uninflected, universal value — has been re-framed. Now, there is a feeling among some students and faculty that unfettered speech can create an environment that marginalizes certain groups and impedes learning. The result has been a series of confrontations on campuses from Connecticut to California.
On April 21, 2016, the Center for Cultural Media in the Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University will host a special event, The Smart Set Forum 2016: Free Speech on the College Campus, to explore this controversial issue. The Forum will feature talks by cultural critic Camille Paglia and noted legal scholar Laura Beth Nielsen, with respondents from the Drexel faculty to their respective positions. The event will also include a panel of Drexel students who will address the free speech issue, drawing on their own perspectives and experiences. Possible topics to be discussed will include the Yale Halloween costume debacle, the reach of Title IX policies, the value or harm of trigger warnings and safe zones, and the difficulties attached to defining hate speech and harassment.
The forum will take place on Thursday, April 21, 2016 from 3:30 to 8 p.m. in Mandell Theater (33rd and Chestnut Sts. on Drexel’s University City campus in Philadelphia), and will be open to the public (no tickets required). Free Speech on the College Campus is sponsored by The Smart Set, our online culture journal published through the Center for Cultural Media and Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University.
We hope you will consider attending this special event. Please mark your calendar, and help spread the word. RSVP requested.
This post was provided and paid for by the Center for Cultural Media and Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University. If you would like to reach our readers, please contact us.
April 15th, 2016 at 8:54 am
This should be interesting and hopefully helpful in the debate over free speech. It seems that any speech that offends anyone comes into question among those who oppose free speech. This has been seen all too often when hecklers and the “offended” deny opposing points of view in public forums. Is it my imagination or has this tilted to denying conservatives the right to free speech on university campuses where left-leaning (privileged?)students who haven’t suffered much if any discrimination feel they need to speak up for the downtrodden, real or perceived injustice, social issues, etc.? There was a recent incident at Penn where a forum or speech was cancelled due to rude and intolerant leftists who shouted down the speaker. We won’t have free speech unless tolerance (not affirmation) goes both ways and those we disagree with have the right to speak without interruption. And if you don’t like the speaker or the speech either keep quiet, stay home, or give a speech of your own. In any event there is a lack of civility that needs to be addressed.
April 18th, 2016 at 11:39 pm
If a virulent racist or fascist is scheduled to appear they should be shouted down. As for trying to prohibit “triggering,” if it means what I think is meant, I think that’s going too far in the direction of fostering self-indulgent hypersensitivity.
April 19th, 2016 at 2:54 pm
With respect to shouting down people with whom you disagree, I’ll post this Noam Chomsky quote:
Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re really in favor of free speech, then you’re in favor of freedom of speech for precisely the views you despise. Otherwise, you’re not in favor of free speech.
The whole point of protecting free speech is to protect the right of holders of unpopular opinions (such as virulent racists or fascists) to express those opinions. The right-minded people who disagree with these unpopular ideas should be confident enough in their ability to counter ignorant and hateful speech with better ideas that they shouldn’t be threatened and feel the need to shout anyone down.
April 19th, 2016 at 2:54 pm
I should clarify that only the middle part is Chomsky.