NEWS

NEWBERRY — Newberry attorney Chad Jenkins '96 will speak to Newberry College students about free speech as part of the College’s Constitution Day commemoration. The event will take place Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Gnann Conference Room at the Center for Teacher Education, 1121 Speers St.

Debates about what speech is protected are as old as the Constitution itself. In the digital age, those debates are all the greater.

“Social media has changed the way we receive information about our world. Not all of it is necessarily true,” said Dr. Dennis Lambries, associate professor of political science. “Does this mean that we have a constitutional right to lie? Who is responsible for the impact of those lies? Has our view, and the legal interpretation, of free speech changed? These and other issues will be discussed by our Constitution Day speaker.”

After graduating from Newberry College, Jenkins earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1999, and he is currently a partner in the firm Pope Parker Jenkins in Newberry.

Constitution Day, officially Sept. 17, marks the day in 1787 when the United States Constitution was signed by delegates in Philadelphia, ending the Constitutional Convention. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added in 1791.

In addition to Jenkins' presentation, voter registration drives will be held Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to noon and Sept. 15 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Victory Bell Tower. These drives are sponsored by the Community Service Club. For more information, contact Dr. Dennis Lambries.