FIRE Student Network

A non profit, non partisan organization dedicated to defending free speech rights in higher education. We rep the 1st!

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Thanks to those who came out to Texas A&M and to those who saw the live feed. FIRE staff with debaters @JayBilas and @NCAA's Oliver Luck after a successful first #FIREdebates! 

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FIRE Debates: Texas A&M With Jay Bilas and Oliver Luck

This year, FIRE is launching a new program that will bring the free exchange of ideas directly to college students: FIRE Debates.

FIRE Debates will bring leading figures to colleges and universities for Oxford-style debates on controversial topics relevant to today’s students. The debates will remind students that free inquiry and open discussion play a central role in both education and democracy. FIRE aims to show students across the country that open debate and dialogue is not harmful or detrimental, but healthy, productive, and fun. 

FIRE is thrilled to announce ESPN’s Jay Bilas and the NCAA’s Oliver Luck will debate the motion “College athletes should be allowed to be paid” in the first installment in our series, FIRE Debates, on October 20 at Texas A&M University.

Jay Bilas is a broadcaster for ESPN, an attorney, and a former professional basketball player. In 1995, Bilas joined ESPN as a college basketball analyst. Currently, he serves as a game and studio analyst and courtside commentator for College GameDay, in addition to being a regular contributor to SportsCenter,ESPN.com, and ESPNEWS. Bilas also provides commentary on coverage of the NBA Draft and NCAA Final Four. As a college basketball player, he started for four years at Duke under Coach Mike Krzyzewski. In college, Bilas was one of two student-athletes in the nation appointed to NCAA’s Long-Range Planning Committee. A 1986 NBA draft pick of the Dallas Mavericks, Bilas played basketball professionally in Italy (1987–88) and Spain (1989). Bilas then returned to Duke to serve as assistant coach to Krzyzewski while attending law school.

Oliver Luck has been the Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the NCAA since January 2015. Prior to this role, Luck was the Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President at West Virginia University. During this time, Luck served on the College Football Selection Committee and the Player Safety Advisory Panel for the National Football League. A former student-athlete and quarterback for the NFL, Luck played football for both West Virginia University and the Houston Oilers. After retiring from professional football, Luck received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. He went on to use his football knowledge as the general manager and vice president of NFL Europe, before serving as its president for four years.

There is no admission fee for this event.

Join our Facebook event page! And be free to disagree!

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.@theFIREorg interns found their favorite @newseum exhibit #cheesin4freespeech (at Newseum)

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Dixie State U., Cal Poly Pomona Suspend Restrictive Speech Codes in Wake of FIRE-Led Lawsuits - FIRE

PHILADELPHIA, May 7, 2015—Dixie State University in Utah and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona have both agreed this week to suspend numerous policies that substantially restrict students’ free speech rights on campus. The policy suspensions result from lawsuits filed this year as part of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education’s (FIRE’s) Stand Up For Speech Litigation Project, an unprecedented and undefeated national effort to eliminate unconstitutional speech codes from the nation’s public colleges and universities. “FIRE has been warning colleges for years that the Constitution is clear—there is no place for speech codes on a public college campus,” said …

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Are you at #NCJC15? Come check out @theFIREorg!

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Announcing FIRE’s Spring Regional Workshop!

We are excited to announce the first-ever FIRE Spring Regional Workshop, to take place at Yale University on Saturday, March 21, 2015. 

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.@AriCohn talking to a packed room about #freespeech at #MBLGTACC2015

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Do you have a thirst for knowledge? @TheFIREorg can quench it! #freespeech

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Check out @thefireorg at #ISFLC15 #freespeech

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Stand up for speech! #MBLGTACC2015

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Visit thefire.org/spring-regional-workshop to learn more and apply!!

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FIRE fun at #MBLGTACC2015

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FIRE staffers at #ISFLC15. Come check us out and learn about #freespeech

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.@AriCohn and @susan_kruth at #MBLGTACC2015

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Add some flair to your laptop with the new @TheFIREorg #standup4speech stickers!

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FIRE Presents: Spotlight on Speech Codes 2015. Something disturbing is happening on college campuses.

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Let's abolish speech codes so those like Tina Belcher do not have to fear persecution from administrators for sharing their ideas!