In Session Podcast
Season 3 of our podcast In Session is now out on Spotify!
Disclaimer: The Tulane Journal of Policy and Political Economy is a nonpartisan undergraduate research publication. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Journal, its editors, or affiliated institutions.
Season 3 Episode 1: How Free is Free Speech on Campus?
In our season premiere, hosts Mary Ochiai, Audrey Andel, and Kyrsten Thompson dive into one of the most fiercely contested issues in higher education today: How Free Is Free Speech on Campus? From the historic 1964 Berkeley Free Speech Movement to local lunch counter sit-ins in Louisiana, college campuses have long served as vital battlegrounds for political expression. However, as recent protests ignite intense debates over safety, institutional control, and legal rights, we ask whether the window for acceptable student speech is narrowing.
To break down the history, the law, and the realities on the ground, we sit down with three expert voices: Lindsey Ruhl, former breaking news editor-in-chief of The Tulane Hullabaloo, Bruce Hamilton, Director of Tulane Law School’s First Amendment Clinic, and William Most, civil rights attorney specializing in protest rights.
Together, they explore how the rules shift between public and private universities, the historical evolution of student activism in Louisiana, and what happens when administrative authority collide with democratic dissent.