By Chase Mccann / USF Z News
Members of the University of South Florida’s First Amendment Forum support the right to freedom of expression by fostering an environment for open discussion in their meetings every Wednesday.
The Forum is a student organization at USF that meets to engage in a group discussion about a given topic, chosen beforehand by its members via public poll. Pitched as more of a mutual exchange of ideas than a debate, the club’s staff strive to maintain a strictly neutral environment where anybody is welcome to express their ideas. The forum is intended to function as a bipartisan platform where all viewpoints are welcome.
“I would say what’s important about this organization is that it is explicitly not taking any sort of sides,” said Jimmy Onate, a member of the club. “The point is that everyone has a chance to voice their opinion no matter what it is, and I think that’s also really important that there’s no bias.”
At each meeting, participants organize into groups and voice their opinions on the chosen subject matter in a structured conversation. Although the topic of discussion isn’t always politically charged, the members consider the organization inherently so due to what it defends. The club isn’t one to shy away from a controversial subject matter, and its body values an environment that explicitly allows them to speak on today’s issues without fear of censorship.
In particular, many involved were inspired to participate by the university’s response to pro-Palestinian protests in 2024. Members feel that the heavy opposition to those protests– in addition to the subsequent policies placing restrictions on what forms of protest are permitted on campus– necessitates a platform for its students that will allow them to express their ideas on current issues openly.
“I do think that after the protest, a lot of people wanted to do more politically active topics,” said Caroline Pope, an officer of the club’s executive board. “I definitely saw a response with the protests of people feeling like they wanted more, like a space where they can share their opinions freely. In my personal opinion, the school’s actions kind of made them potentially feel like they didn’t have a voice.”
The executive board of the club works on a deeper level to protect and advocate for free speech both at USF and Florida as a whole. They maintain a close relationship with the university, assisting in reviewing and revising policies to aid students trying to express their voices. They also have taken legal action in an effort to combat state policies restricting their First Amendment rights. In 2022, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sued the state of Florida on behalf of the forum in an attempt to challenge the then-recently passed Stop W.O.K.E. Act before it was blocked by a federal judge.
The forum’s leadership considers the First Amendment Forum more than a debate club– their intent is to create a community that understands and cherishes the rights they receive under the First Amendment. Club president Alice Messiah wants to promote the ability of individuals to organize and make their collective voices heard.
“If you don’t feel like you already have a platform, create one,” said Messiah. “Make a space. Get a group of people together, people that agree with you, people that disagree with you, and make a space like First Amendment Forum where you can go and talk about things and really value civil discourse. This space wouldn’t exist unless someone felt like they didn’t have a place to talk, and so they made one.”