Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor
Western’s Freedom of Expression event occurred May 10, 2024, where students, faculty and any interested persons gathered to discuss amplifying voices, advocating for important causes and civic engagement. The event was sponsored by Western’s Humanities and Social Science Divisions and ran from 9:45 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Planning for the event took months, beginning in the fall and eventually culminating in the successful orchestration of a group discussion this spring.
Organizer and professor in Political Science, Mary Pettenger, described the collective goal of the event. “Our hope was to really get them to think about ways they can actually make change. We gave them handouts on different strategies about how you might go about (with) the change, but also, for us, it was important,” said Pettenger. “We’ve all experienced (being unable) to articulate what it is that you want.”
The event fostered a safe space for open-ended discussion, ranging from First Amendment rights to worldwide news, which Pettenger deemed successful.
“The thing with the workshop that I emphasize is that it’s all a personal choice,” said Pettenger. “All of these actions are personal. You have to commit, to want to do it, and you have to commit yourself, your time and your energy to these things. And I think that it’s really important.”
Tablings and panels, such as this one, exist to provide students with a “foot in the door” — a method of experiencing discussions centered around civic engagement, limiting commitment while allowing for accessibility and an open window into opportunities.
The event organized a strategies workshop at 10:15 a.m. before transitioning to “Conversations about Freedom of Expression” at 12:30 p.m. Sections were purposefully added to address multiple ways to garner support and advocate for a cause while evaluating the fine lines of civil disobedience and the true definition of freedom of expression.
“Another goal we had in the event was to start conversations on campus because it hasn’t been (the best) space to have these conversations,” said Pettenger. “Everybody has perceived that students are unwilling to share for a variety of reasons. Either they’re worried about being attacked or they don’t feel comfortable sharing their views — they don’t feel safe in that space. So we wanted to have more of a conversation, a place where people can have conversations.”
Pettenger added that the workshop may be replicated in the next academic year, possibly with different topics of discussion, so students will have to keep an eye out to catch it.
Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu
