In honor of the university's Constitution Week, several of Nicholls State University's professors offered their perspectives on free speech in today's society and on campus during a panel discussion Tuesday.

They ranged from discussing "cancel culture" to the history of student press rights at public schools to the role freedom of speech plays in maintaining a democracy.

Sitting on the panel were Nicki Boudreaux, a mass communication professor; Rusty Thysell Jr., a government professor; David Whitney, the social sciences department head; and Paul Wilson, the geography department head. They were also joined by Student Government Association Vice President Markaylen Wiltz, and the discussion was moderated byJames Stewart, mass communication department head.

All of the panelists shared the sentiment that the right to free speech is integral to the country's progress and finding truth

"To me, free speech is the cornerstone of our society, and it's the cornerstone of this and all universities," said Whitney. "It has to be protected at all costs."

Whitney asserted that freedom of speech is a protection for the minority in society against the majority.

"From mob rule," he said, pointing to how public opinion changes over time with examples like the acceptance of gay marriage and the civil rights movement.

Wilson argued "cancel culture," or the boycott of someone like a celebrity due to a questionable opinion or behavior, is the greatest threat to freedom of speech. This is an alternative term to "call-out culture."

"You're allowed to change," he said. "You've all said offensive things in your life."

Wiltz noted that the original purpose of a liberal arts college was to promote "freedom of thought."

"We're caught in this dilemma of society where people want to feel safe, but they don't want to hear the reaction to their words," he said. "You need to remember to watch how you say things but also get your point across."

Thysell said he advises his students to recognize that while they have the right to say something, they still have to think about whether there are repercussions.

"You can basically say anything you want," he said. "The problem is the consequences."

Boudreaux added that in the mass communication department, they couple the law associated with freedom of speech with the ethics of speech so students understand "the personal responsibility we have as speakers."

"I can offend you," she said. "But just because I can say something doesn't mean I should say something."

Staff Writer Halle Parker can be reached at hparker@houmatoday.com or 857-2204. Follow her on Twitter, @_thehalparker.

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Nicholls holds freedom of speech panel discussion - Daily Comet