At 9:30pm on Thursday, April 14th, the honors RAs held a dialogue/reflection/service project called “Express Empowerment.” The dialogue emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and how lucky and privileged we are as Americans to be able to speak our minds. We also heard some true stories about activists in other countries who were imprisoned or beaten for encouraging political discussion in their communities. Amnesty International, an organization that stands up for the right to freedom of speech across the globe, was also discussed.
After the dialogue (which included interactive answers via texting) and a brief reflection, all the students who attended were given a piece of poster board, a paintbrush, and some paint to create a protest sign about a cause that means a lot to them. My sign said “We need sySTEMic change,” as I truly believe schools need to place more emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math. Other students’ signs discussed drone regulations, mental health, gay rights, capitalism, and more.
I really enjoyed this event. I feel like many people take freedom of speech for granted. They use it in their everyday lives, but never realize the good they can do if they use it productively. I myself often take it for granted. Having been to this event, I hope to use it to make positive change both in my community and abroad.