Ithaca College

 The Park School of Communication will be co-sponsoring an upcoming discussion on free speech at Ithaca College on Thursday, Feb. 8th from 6:30-8:00 in Emerson Suites. The panelists bring in expertise in the fields of media, law and higher education. 

The panelists will be covering an assortment of topics surrounding the issue of free speech in the United States. Some issues to be addressed include: Free Speech rights on campus, Ithaca College policies regarding freedom of expression, the impact that overturning net neutrality will have on free speech rights online, hate speech, demonetization and censorship occurring on social media platforms, such as Twitter and YouTube, as well as the current balancing test between civil rights and the constitutional right to free expression that the Supreme Court is reviewing in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. 

The panel will consist of three experts on the topic of free speech, including:

1. Dave Rubin: Talk show host, comedian, and TV personality. He is the host of The Rubin Report, a talk show about big ideas and free speech, heralded for it's politically incorrect and honest approach to discussing complex issues and current events.  

2. Cabot Phillips: Media Director for campus reform, a watchdog for the nation's higher education system. He has facilitated several seminars and workshops with students from across the nation, teaching them about their free speech rights, as students. 

3. Angela Rulffes: Assistant professor within the department of communication studies at Ithaca College. She is a former attorney for the ACLU with a deep legal understanding of the first amendment, having earned her earned a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from Syracuse University with research focused on freedom of speech in the United States and her J.D from the Clevland Marshall College of Law.

You can submit questions ahead of time, for the moderator, TV-R Senior and President of the Ithaca College Republicans Caleb C. Slater, to ask the panelists at icrepublicans@ithaca.edu

In addition, the final half hour of the event is reserved for a Q&A session, in which members of the audience can ask the panelists questions directly.

This event serves as a great teaching tool to the students in both the Park School of Communication and the Park School of Business, as all of the panelists have a background in media.

Dave has evolved with the changes in the industry, providing commentary in the mainstream media, transitioning to the independent Young Turks Network and eventually moving on to start his own crowd funded program, The Rubin Report. He can provide additional information to students about the changes in our media.

Cabot has years of experience in strategic communication and can speak heavily about effective messaging and how to go viral. 

Professor Rulffes has years of experience in higher education and can be provide advice to those seeking to attend graduate school. 

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Caleb Slater at icrepublicans@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.