The Martin Hall Agency is hosting an inaugural event to showcase the importance and impact of the First Amendment and free speech regarding social media. “Don’t Box Me In” is a WVUcampus-wide, day-long event Nov. 20.
The day’s events will kick-off at 11:30 a.m. at Woodburn Circle with a reading of the First Amendment. Free Starbucks coffee will be available and First Amendment Day long- sleeved shirts will be available for purchase for $15 each. WVU Libraries will host a showcase exhibit available for viewing throughout the day. Campus-wide student organizations are welcome and encouraged to participate in the kick-off event. The group most creative in free speech expression will win a $100 prize.
A panel discussion regarding free speech and social media will be held 4-5 p.m. at the Media Innovation Center at Evansdale Crossing. Panel moderator Steve Urbanksi, media law associate professor and director of graduate studies at the Reed College of Media, will be joined by panelists Shan Cawley, 2019 TEDxWVU keynote speaker and poet; Joel Beeson, associate professor at the Reed College of Media; Katie Giusto, on-campus recruiting coordinator for WVU football, among others. The panelists will cover topics surrounding emerging issues of free speech and social media, hate speech on social media, and social media surveillance surrounding college campuses. WVU students, staff and faculty, as well as Morgantown residents are invited to attend and take part in the conversation.
To conclude First Amendment Day, MHA will host First Amendment Trivia at Terra Cafe located on 425 Industrial Ave. in Morgantown. Trivia night will feature two, 45-minute sessions to test the audience’s knowledge on the First Amendment and how it affects their everyday lives. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams for each session.
The following social media hashtags are suggested for following along or posting about the day’s events: #1ADay, #MHA19, #DontBoxMeIn #1forAll. Find us on Instagram at @themartinhallagency for updates and up-to-date event information. In case of rain, the kick-off event will be moved to the JG Theater. The event is funded by a generous grant from the “1 for All” initiative at the Free Speech Center, Middle Tennessee University.
The Martin Hall Agency is a student-run Ad+PR agency that services clients in the Morgantown area and throughout West Virginia. MHA focuses on innovation, inclusivity and insight in all client work and provides the Reed College of Media students a real-world agency experience. For more information regarding the “Don’t Box Me In” event email MHA’s director of public and media relations Emmy Rinehart at ear0002@mix.wvu.edu or MHA advisor Jennifer L. Harker at jennifer.harker@mail.wvu.edu.