Those who memorized the First Amendment for their 9th grade government class, but discarded it into the mass of forgotten high school information, will get a refresher course on First Amendment Day Thursday.

The purpose is to make students and community members aware of the five freedoms guaranteed by the first amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.

The celebration is a joint effort between the Greenlee School of Journalism, the Iowa State Daily, the Government of the Student Body and other organizations, said Matthew Lischer, senior in journalism and mass communication.

“The goal of the event is to raise awareness of the First Amendment rights on campus,” he said.

“Students need to know their constitutional rights and what they stand for. They need to understand they don’t have to be silent and they can be heard.”

The celebration will kick off at 11 a.m. south of Parks Library with a day of debates, petitioning, prayer and free food catered by Hickory Park.

Debates will run every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Some of the debates include Time For Peace v. College Republicans, LGBTAA v. Catholics and Fern Kupfer v. students.

Barbara Mack, associate professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and expert on the First Amendment, will speak at the news conference. She said she will stress the importance of the amendment and why it should never be taken for granted.

“The First Amendment is the First Amendment because our founding fathers knew that without free speech and political discourse, nothing else matters,” she said. “If we don’t stay true to the ideals of the Constitution, ultimately this nation will fail. I spend my life fighting for First Amendment rights.”

For more information, go to www.freedomforum.org or visit the Greenlee Web site at www.jlmc.iastate.edu.