Table of Contents
‘Daily Pennsylvanian’ Comments on Penn’s Green Light Rating
In a column in today’s Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania (Penn) freshman Jamie France commends Penn for its green light rating on ֭’s Spotlight. After explaining ֭’s system of evaluation and pointing out that Penn and Dartmouth were the only Ivy League institutions to receive a green light, France wrote:
By allowing us to do and say what we want, within reason, Penn is fostering our potential to become the innovative minds of the future.During a time when so few people have the confidence to voice heretical opinions, colleges must be responsible for instilling attitudes of boldness, in its students. FIREwho graduate with the ability to express themselves—who don't feel constrained by a fear of being punished or, worse, misunderstood—will one day achieve far greater success than those who sit on the silent sidelines.
A perfect outlook. Use college to cultivate a certain comfort level where students feel at ease expressing themselves in an environment where their views may stir debate or face opposition. In a society where we are constantly bombarded with competing messages and forced to decide which beliefs to adopt as our own, it is crucial that our universities prepare their students for facing that inevitable “real world” where they need to be able to accept or disagree with an unlimited number of other expressions day in and day out. FIREneed to be unafraid of putting their own ideas into the mix, and spending time in an institution that values the fundamentals of free speech is an excellent starting point.
Recent Articles
FIRE’s award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.
Maine’s censure of lawmaker for post about trans student-athlete is an attack on free speech
The Maine House is wrong to censure Rep. Laurel Libby — and its actions are a clear retaliation
Trump’s border czar is wrong about AOC
AOC did nothing wrong by informing the public of their constitutional rights when encountering ICE agents
FIREcalls out 60 Minutes investigation as 'political stunt' in comment to FCC
FIREsubmitted a comment to the Federal Communications Commission about a complaint about a 60 Minutes interview with then Vice President Kamala Harris.
The National Institutes of Health shouldn’t use ֭’s College Free Speech Rankings to allocate research funding — here’s what they should do instead
NIH should give research funding to institutions that promise academic freedom to their faculty and researchers.