First Amendment Days

22nd annual First Amendment Days

April 15-19, 2024

First Amendment Days is a weeklong celebration of our First Amendment freedoms – religion, speech, press, assembly, petition. A diverse assortment of speakers, events and activities are offered on campus every spring as a creative way to engage students and the entire Iowa State community to better understand the power of free expression. First Amendment Days is also designed to provide opportunities to exercise our five freedoms.

Now in its 22nd year, First Amendment Days is the longest-running continual student-led First Amendment celebration at any university in the U.S. The celebration is organized by the First Amendment Committee, which is made up of members of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and the Iowa State Daily Media Group.

Our 22nd annual First Amendment Days, April 15-19, 2024 “Humor Me”

• Tuesday, April 16, “First Amendment Days: Pun-damental Rights,” pun battle at Ames Public Library, 7 p.m.
  • This year, celebrate the First Amendment Days by participating in (or laughing at) a First Amendment themed pun battle! We’ll have multiple rounds and plenty of opportunities for our punsters to show off their skills. It promises to be a lot of pun(s)! Presented in partnership with Ames Public Library and Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. Supported by the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation.
• Wednesday, April 17, “A Revolution was Once Televised: Norman Lear Sitcoms and Satire,” Novotny Lawrence, associate professor and director of the Black Film Center & Archive, The Media School, Indiana University Bloomington, 11 a.m., 169 Hamilton Hall
  • A look at how the producer of  “All in the Family,’’ and other sitcoms changed the way Americans looked at race, sex and other issues. Although the issues are standard fare now, there was a time when these subjects weren’t addressed on television. Presented by former Greenlee Professor Dr. Novotny Lawrence.
• Wednesday, April 17, “The Onion: Comedy, Controversy and the First Amendment,” Mike Gillis, head writer, The Onion, Memorial Union, Sun Room, 7 p.m.
  • As head writer of satirical site The Onion, Mike Gillis is no stranger to writing and talking about writing with humor and parody. Hear Gillis discuss how the First Amendment protects speech, even when snarky in tone.A graduate of Dartmouth College, Gillis got his start at The Onion writing headlines as a contributor, eventually joining the staff as a writer and working his way up to head writer. His work has also appeared in The New Yorker and across the internet.
• Thursday, April 18, Feast on the First, Central Campus, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Feast on the First continues its presence on Central Campus, mixing food and frivolity in celebration of the First Amendment. Faculty and students will lend their (lack of) artistic skills to draw pets (badly), with an accompanying fundraiser for the Story County Animal Shelter. Free T-shirts will be available, along with food prepared by student group Block & Bridle.
• April 18, 19 and 27, “The Crucible,” 7:30 p.m., Fisher Theater (April 28 performance at 3 p.m.), Department of Music and Theatre
  • This American classic based on the Salem witch trials of 1692 tells the story of a village that becomes embroiled in a witch hunt. The people of the village live in a constant state of fear as more and more people are accused of witchcraft.General admission $20; youth and ISU students Free.Ticket sales begin Aug. 25. General admission tickets available at the door, through Iowa State Center Ticket Office, or any Ticketmaster. Tickets may be purchased in person (including free Iowa State University student tickets) at the Iowa State Center Ticket Office Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Friday, April 19, Hate Speech and the First Amendment, 0232 Carver, 5-6 p.m.
  • Students for Open Discussion will host a conversation about hate speech and its relationship to the First Amendment. Points of discussion include what qualifies as hate speech, what speech should be regulated and the effects of hate speech. The organization provides a space for students to explore difficult topics, share perspectives and gain understanding across political and social divides.

First Amendment Collaborations

Ames Public Library

“The First Amendment is Pun-damental”

The First Amendment is the cornerstone of American freedoms, and the freedom to laugh is an important part of that. This year, celebrate the First Amendment Days by participating in (or laughing at) a First Amendment-themed pun battle! We’ll have multiple rounds and plenty of opportunities for our punsters to show off their skills. It promises to be a lot of pun(s)!

Presented in partnership with Ames Public Library and Iowa State University Greenlee School  of Journalism and Communication.

Tuesday, April 16, 7 p.m., Ames Public Library (515 Douglas Ave., Ames)

Iowa State University Library First Amendment libguide

Want to study up on the First Amendment? Check out the extensive resources available in this Iowa State University Library First Amendment libguide curated by Charles Yier of the Iowa State University Library in conjunction with First Amendment Days.

Iowa State Daily – Letters to the Editor

Available Always

We encourage students to exercise their freedom of the press by writing letters to the editor to the Iowa State Daily and other news organizations. See the Iowa State Daily’s policy for letters to the editor.

FAD Through the Years

The inaugural Iowa State University First Amendment Day celebration took place in 2003 and was organized by Mark Witherspoon, Iowa State Daily emeritus editorial advisor and former Greenlee faculty member. The Greenlee School has organized a celebration every year since. See how First Amendment Days has evolved through the years.

Past Celebrations

 

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