Iowa State University

Iowa State University went in big for the First Amendment in April.

Its First Amendment series included the 17^thannual First Amendment Days, April 8-12, on the campus, featuring a range of events celebrating the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition.

First Amendment Days “is the longest-running continual First Amendment celebration at any university in the U.S.,” according to Iowa State. This year it presented five days of programming for the Iowa State campus and beyond, including: 

• Common Ground: a discussion about belief
• Keynote lecture given by Simon Tam, founder and bassist of The Slants
• Depth and Dialogue sessions and public lectures
• Democalypse March, Feast on the First, live street art demo by iamsloth
• First Amendment Workshop

Then, on April 23, Iowa State brought Shut Up and Dance to the campus in Ames. More than 330 students rocked with the music in the Music Building’s Martha Ellen Tye Recital Hall.

It’s a new program of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University and 1 for All, a national, nonpartisan campaign designed to build understanding and support for the First Amendment’s five freedoms. 

Shut Up and Dance is an entertaining, music-oriented presentation telling the story of America’s social struggles and progress through pop, rock, gospel, soul, country and hip-hop, and illuminates for audiences the pivotal moments when artists were told to be quiet and instead spoke up.

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