Rights program a matter of 'FAC'
By Monica Bryant
Diversity Institute Fellow
07.23.02
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| Jenny Atkinson |
A program sponsored by the First Amendment Center is helping students at selected colleges and universities learn more about fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
The two-year-old effort is titled “First Amendment on Campus” and seeks to raise college students’ awareness of First Amendment issues and rights through music, discussions, exhibits and speakers, said Jenny Atkinson, special projects coordinator for the center, which is based in Nashville, Tenn., and affiliated with the Freedom Forum.
Atkinson said the program targets students on college campuses because that’s usually where interest in activism and protests starts, and it’s the time when students start forming their own ideas and speaking out about them.
"It's a great time to reach them because they're starting to feel ownership of their community," she said. "What we do at the First Amendment on Campus is expose them to the First Amendment as an issue and (explore) their role as a citizen to make a decision and stand up for it on the First Amendment."
The first program was held at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in March 2000, she said. It lasted two days and was held all over the campus, but Atkinson has since scaled programs down to half a day and uses one centralized location.
Approximately four to six programs are conducted annually, and the First Amendment Center absorbs all costs associated with the events. The host institution contributes resources such as equipment, facilities, faculty and staff. The program typically features displays of banned books and includes a live concert of songs that have been censored with some discussion about implications of censorship, as well as the history of the songs.
Atkinson uses feedback from the faculty, staff and students to measure the success of a program. And the effort is receiving high marks from participants.
Festivals are planned based on campus size, but hundreds of students typically attend each event.
Over the last two years, festivals were held at Arizona State University, Penn State University, Alabama State University and the University of North Carolina. The program is not offered during the summer, and plans for future festivals haven’t been finalized.
"The First Amendment is a community issue, Atkinson said, because it addresses five fundamental freedoms that add to the distinctiveness of American life.
"I think it's real important for students to have the opportunity early to sharpen their senses and awareness," she said.