When

demonstrators speak out on controversial issues or hand out flyers

about religion on campus, public relations major Jennie Sun comes

to realize how basic liberties that are guaranteed by the First

Amendment affect the nation.

“We are lucky

in America to have the right to say what we think because not a lot

of governments in other countries allow that,” she said. “I do

think students realize their freedoms but they don’t appreciate

them until they see on the news how bad it is in other

countries.”

For Leah

Franks, a film and digital media production major, freedom of

speech, press, religion, petition, and assembly play significant

roles in society and her daily life.

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>“Personally, I’ve always found the First

Amendment to be a blessing,” she said. “I’m glad our nation bestows

such a right to free expression not just for me, but for everyone

else in this country. It allows for diversity and individuality

that lets everyone’s voices be heard, whether we agree with them or

not.”

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>Sun and Franks will have the opportunity to

celebrate their liberties with the UNA community during a

month-long First Amendment commemoration in April through the

Department of Communications, which recently received a $5,000

grant from the Liberty Tree Initiative.

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>Dr. Greg Pitts, department chair and professor,

submitted a proposal to the initiative in October and has worked

with UNA president Dr. William Cale to designate April as First

Amendment Month on campus.

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>Under a national program called “1 for All,” the

Liberty Tree Initiative supplies teaching materials to schools and

works with college campuses in organizing First Amendment-related

educational events. The program has funded similar grants in the

past to colleges such as the University of Tennessee, University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Southern Illinois

University.

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>“We have a great communications program here and

this is just one more way in which we’re reminding people that

we’re here and active in the community,” Pitts said. “We are

helping to educate students about their rights to freedom of speech

and press. With that comes the responsibility that students be

engaged and to ensure that they use and respect their rights, as

well.”

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>Pitts hopes to use the $5,000 grant to create a

First Amendment display of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights

in the main lobby of the communications building. He also plans to

supply business-sized cards of the Bill of Rights to students

studying communications.

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>The department hopes to attract local interest

in the celebration by offering a video submission contest for UNA

and high school students and an art competition through a

partnership with the Tennessee Valley Art Association. After the

competitions are completed, Pitts said the department will

participate in the First Friday event in downtown Florence April 1

to display the student art and videos.

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>In order to unite the campus and increase

knowledge among students about the First Amendment, the department

will also plant a tree, which will be dedicated to the Liberty Tree

Initiative. During April, various campus and Greek organizations

will be encouraged to decorate a campus tree with a Liberty Wrap,

which is a cloth that focuses on one or more of the guaranteed

First Amendment freedoms.

<span style=

“font-size: 14pt;”>Pitts plans to bring two speakers to campus to

talk about freedom of expression, assembly, and the responsibility

and need for First Amendment awareness. The department will also

host a campus-wide speech contest as well as commemorate World

Press Freedom Day, which is May 3, by providing a framed display of

the front pages of international newspapers.

“I think that

Americans and students generally are not as familiar with the First

Amendment as we ought to be, so I’m hoping we can use this grant to

raise our awareness of the importance of the First Amendment and

the freedoms it guarantees,” said Dr. Jim Martin, professor of

communications. “I try to stress the First Amendment in my classes

and I try to emphasize that I believe we are the freest nation on

earth, but if we don’t protect those freedoms, they can slip

away.”