Free Speech is a hot-button issue on College and University campuses across North America, and ever since the events involving a TA being reprimanded at Laurier University in Waterloo over showing a Jordan Peterson article in class, many students are questioning the state of Free Speech on campuses. Is Speech truly free? Should we be able to openly discuss ideas in an academic setting no matter how unpopular or seemingly hateful? Is there a line that should not be crossed?
All these questions are on the minds of students, including one specific student, Alex Omiotek, Vice President of the Students in Support of Free Speech chapter at Western University. Omiotek and the club aim to discuss and debate topics on campus that pertain to Free Speech while encouraging the student body to engage in open discussions of ideas.
After the fallout from the incident at Laurier University, Omiotek commented on the situation.
Laurier has since apologized for the way it handled the situation with the TA, although some question the sincerity of the apology.