Student voices will not be silenced in the free-speech crisis

By Sophia Oppedisano Editor-in-Chief I have always loved coming back to school. The crisp air on a September morning. The spines of new books waiting to be cracked. The voices and laughter of old friends and new filling the shared spaces of our University. This is my fifth year as an undergraduate student. Even after all this time, I still get excited to be on this campus and be inspired by my professors, mentors, and classmates. However, the excitement and anticipation are muted this year, even here in Framingham. An air of uncertainty has permeated college campuses across the nation in the wake of President Donald Trump's continuous attempts to bend higher education to his will. College campuses are spaces where students, faculty, and staff should feel safe and included. This is where goals are achieved, dreams are given the space to grow, and innovation and triumph are daily occurrences. The recent political rhetoric surrounding higher education is an unprecedented attack against those ideals. Our space feels threatened. Uncertainty and dread are new emotions we must reckon with on top of getting settled into classes, wading through new daily challenges, and making sure we remember to have a meal. This certainly does not feel like business as usual. In the past year, we have witnessed turmoil on campuses across the nation as Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk was taken off the street and detained by masked government officials. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs were cut or rebranded across the country, and university officials at Harvard, Columbia, UMass Amherst, and more were blackmailed or forced to slash their budgets. We watched as public broadcasting services such as PBS and NPR were defunded, and our favorite late show hosts, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, were taken off the air for voicing their dissenting opinions. We are witnessing governmental censorship and denial of First Amendment rights. Compounded by the continuous opposition to education, this is a frightening environment for students to come back to this fall. It is already a scary thing to put yourself out there and make your voice heard in college, let alone in this new, unpredictable world. During my time as a journalist, I have learned the importance of fair, ethical, and honest conversations and discourse, even with those who might disagree with me. Universities are exactly the type of setting where those conversations should be happening. It is here where we are supposed to learn about things we do not understand and safely voice our ideas and opinions. I have learned by talking to professors, administrators, and my classmates and friends how important it is to ask questions and seek clarity from an objective perspective. I am privileged to have received training as a working journalist at this University that has shaped my objective mind and taught me to understand, respect, and encourage discourse that crosses political boundaries. My experiences at this University have taught me how to use my voice, and I don’t want the current attacks on free speech to make my classmates and peers feel like they should censor theirs. I am calling on our campus community to embrace conversations that are hard or uncomfortable and to resist censoring our ideas. The Center for Inclusive Excellence hosts Diversity Dialogue events to encourage student engagement and civil discourse on the Trump Administration and some of its rulings, as well as to invite speakers to talk with students and affinity groups on campus. Professors and administrators have open office hours during which they want to hear your concerns and offer perspective, knowledge, and encouragement. There are often protests on the bridge across the street from campus, where your voice can make an impact. Registering to vote before the 2026 midterm elections is key to making change as we look ahead during this administration. Intentionally seeking primary sources as you gather your news and staying engaged with those sources is imperative to limiting the spread of misinformation. The more we engage with each other, the more we can push back against this administration and its attempts to silence us. There is every reason to let fear and intimidation get the best of us as we begin this new year. However, as long as we live in a country with the freedoms we are currently afforded, cynicism won’t change the negatives in our everyday lives - actions, big and small, will. Your opinions, your voice, and your experiences are valuable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.