Constitution Week: First Amendment Panel

"The Fight for the Right to Vote: It Still Matters"

Tuesday, September 17

11:30 A.M. - 12:45 P.M. | MBSC Nebraska Room

Dr. Dianne Bystrom, Former Director of Carrie Chapman Catt Center at Iowa State will give her presentation "The Fight for the Right to Vote: It still matters."  Her presentation comes in time for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to attend.

About Dr. Bystrom

Dr. Dianne Bystrom is director emerita of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University. She directed the center for 22 years before retiring in August 2018. She also established Iowa State’s Leadership Studies Program and served as its director for 10 years. At Iowa State, she taught courses on women and politics, political campaigns, and women and leadership. Dr. Bystrom has contributed to 25 books—including Women in the American Political System: An Encyclopedia of Women as Voters, Candidates, and Office Holders (2019); An Unprecedented Election: Media, Communication, and the Electorate in the 2016 Campaign (2018); and Gender and Elections (2018, 2014, 2009 and 2006)—as a as a co-author, co-editor or chapter author. She is the recipient of numerous awards for her work, including induction into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018, selection as a Woman of Influence by the Des Moines Business Record in 2017, and as the first recipient of the Iowa Network for Women in Higher Education’s Distinguished Higher Education Leadership Award in 2016. Dr. Bystrom continues to serve as a speaker and commentator about women’s issues, leadership and politics for community groups, professional organizations and the media. She also is serving a two-year term (2019-2021) as co-president of the League of Women Voters of Nebraska. Dr. Bystrom earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kearney (NE) State College and a master’s degree in journalism and Ph.D. in communication, both from the University of Oklahoma.

Voter Registration

Tuesday, September 17

11 A.M. - 1 P.M. | Two locations

The League of Women Voters (LOWV) is hosting a voter registration booth for students, faculty, and staff. You can find them in the hallway just outside of the School of Communication offices as well as in the Milo Bail Student Cneter just outside the Nebraska Room.

LOWV is a non-partisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Learn more about the LOWV on their website

First Amendment Panel

Thursday, September 19

2:30 P.M. | CPACS Commons

Dr. Jeremy Lipschultz, Peter Kiewit Distinguished Professor within the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media, will be hosting a panel on the First Amendment featuring himself and several guests:

Michael Holmes began his career as a U.S. Navy combat journalist in Vietnam. After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he worked as a reporter, editor and news executive for the Lincoln Journal-Star, Omaha World-Herald and The Associated Press in Iowa, Ohio, Texas and Nebraska. His AP assignments included two American visits by the pope, the FBI’s 51-day siege of the Branch Davidian compound at Waco, Texas, and the first presidential campaign of George W. Bush. Before his recent retirement, he served editor of The World-Herald editorial pages, which were honored by the Great Plains Journalism Awards, Associated Press Managing Editors Association and the Inland Press Association.

Amy Miller, ACLU of Nebraska, is a graduate of Grinnell College and the University of Nebraska College of Law. Since 1999, she has guided the legal work of the ACLU as the Legal Director, where she is responsible for overseeing the litigation as well as some legislative lobbying and public education.

Jody Neathery-Castro, UNO Department of Political Science Chair, is an expert on US-European freedom of expression differences. She is an award-winning teacher of Political Sciences, including global and comparative politics.

Michael J. O’Hara is Professor of Business Administration, Finance, Banking and Real Estate. He teaches law and economics. His research interests are in forensic economics. O’Hara is an active in participant in UNO faculty governance.

Jeremy Harris Lipschultz leads the UNO Social Media Lab and is author of two recent books – Social Media Measurement and Management (2020), and Social Media Communication (2018). He also writes an annual “New Communication Technologies” chapter for Communication and the Law (2020).

#UNO1ForAll Social Media Influence competition

Sept. 19, 2019 - Oct. 31, 2019

All currently enrolled UNO students are eligible to compete in the #UNO1ForAll Social Media Influence competition on Instagram and Twitter. The kick-off is at our Sept. 19 panel followed by an Oct. 31 pitch by contestants of their #UNO1ForAll strategies and tactics.

Data will be analyzed by the Maverick Social Media (MSM) students in the JMC 4040-8046 Social Media Measurement and Management course and presented to a panel of judges. A first place prize of $1,000, second place $500 and third place $100 will be awarded at a November 14 celebration of the First Amendment.

The UNO Social Media Lab received funding for the contest from the Middle Tennessee State University Free Speech Center at 1ForAll.