Those walking by Parks Library Thursday would swear they were at a revival: a big tent setup, fiery speakers standing on “soapboxes” and passionate outbursts from the audience.

But this revival of sorts wasn’t spiritual — it was political. It was Ames’ first-ever First Amendment Day, a celebration of the five rights the amendment guarantees.

Mayor Ted Tedesco declared Thursday First Amendment Day for the city and explained the celebration expressed the significance of the amendment’s rights.

“We need to educate the community with this 227-year-old blessing,” he said.

Barbara Mack, associate professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and First Amendment expert, ascended a soapbox and issued a citizen’s challenge to all those listening.

“If you don’t know your First Amendment rights, exercise your First Amendment rights and understand your First Amendment rights — you don’t deserve your First Amendment rights,” Mack said.

She asked if anyone in the audience protested the university’s double-digit tuition increase. After a few seconds of silence, she responded to the crowd.

“If you didn’t protest, write to the Regents, or e-mail the university, you failed your test as a member of a free speech society. You are the future of democracy and we need to hear from you,” she said.

The five parts of the First Amendment — religion, speech, press, assembly and petition — were each represented at the celebration.

The masses assembled, petitions were signed for different purposes — including one to freeze the cost of tuition and another to legalize marijuana. Religious beliefs were discussed and journalists spoke about freedom of the press.

Speech, however, was the most visible freedom represented. Speakers literally got up on soapboxes and debated a wide variety of topics: homosexuality and the church, the conflict in Iraq and media bias.

Matt Denner from Time for Peace and David Sprau of the College Republicans were the first to duel. They argued over the justification of the war in Iraq.

Sprau started his argument by calling support for the war the only way to “real peace,” not the artificial peace suggested by pacifists.

“We want to see real freedom in Iraq. What the people had in Iraq before the Americans came wasn’t freedom, it was absolute tyranny,” he said.

Denner took the box amid cheering and booing from the audience. He said America’s presence in Iraq eliminated any sense of order the country had.

“I don’t call it freedom when there’s absolutely no order. Maybe you can call a state of nature freedom, but I don’t consider looting and violence freedom,” he said.

Another prominent debate was between Catholics and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance. Matt Russell, of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 2210 Lincoln Way, said Christian reactions cover extremes, from those who hold signs saying “God hates fags” to Unitarians, who believe all sexual preferences are valid.

“We believe sexual procreation is only acceptable in a marriage relationship,” Russell said.

“However, we don’t believe in discrimination, even if many people have had negative experiences from the church.”

Audience member Anne Wiltgen, who cut off Russell in mid-sentence, challenged his stance.

“How can the church deny anyone who’s not heterosexual any sort of close relationship? That seems like a harsh verdict that’s unhealthy mentally and psychologically,” she said.

Not all the debates ended in disagreement. After their debate on Iraq, Denner and Sprau ascended to the same soapbox and read a proclamation from Time for Peace and the College Republicans with their arms around each other’s shoulders.

“ISU students who disagree can find they share certain values,” Sprau said.

Freedom of speech not only presented itself atop soapboxes or on a table filled with petitions.

“Freedom Sings,” at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union, celebrated banned songs from the 18th century to the present day.

Seven performers and a narrator presented the multimedia presentation to more than 300 students, faculty and Ames residents.

Since September 11, 49 percent of Americans believe the First Amendment gives too much freedom; before the attacks, 40 percent said so, said Ken Paulson, the writer and narrator of “Freedom Sings.”

“We demanded those rights, and in 1789 we entered into a contract called the Bill of Rights,” he said. “If you don’t honor the contract, the contract is null and void.”

Throughout the performance audience members danced, sang along, cried, clapped and cheered.”Popular music is an abundant form of entertainment,” said Alexis Smith, sophomore in English. “If you can’t have free speech in music, how are you going to have freedom of speech in anything else?”