Opinion: Student Press Freedom Day highlights our right to a voice
By Jaxon Garner | Editor in Chief
Student Press Freedom Day celebrates the contributions of student journalists across the nation and reinforces the importance of spreading news and opinions without censorship. As editor-in-chief of The Bell Ringer, I feel a deep responsibility to deliver news to the entire Augusta University community—whether it’s fellow students, professors, administrators, or even the ever-strict parking staff.
Without the First Amendment, I wouldn’t be able to fully embrace that responsibility. It gives me the freedom to analyze and critique Dip Metress’ coaching strategies—though, to be fair, he hasn’t given me much to criticize.
It also allows me to speak out on issues that matter to students. Take, for example, the parking crisis across all AU campuses or the questionable timing of construction projects at Christenberry Fieldhouse. As student journalists, we have a duty to highlight these concerns.
But the First Amendment protects more than just student journalists. It safeguards student-run podcasts, social media pages, clubs, and organizations. It gives students a voice—how we choose to use it is up to us.
Growing up, I always had a passion for storytelling, whether it was creating my own blockbuster movies with action figures or updating my grandfather on the latest sports news.
When it came time to decide on a career, I knew I wanted to keep telling stories. I always imagined myself in front of a camera, delivering breaking news—not behind a computer screen, typing out feature stories on the latest health trends.
But I’ve come to realize my role is more than that. Sometimes, I feel like a megaphone for students, amplifying what we truly need and expect from our university.
I could sit here and write an endless article about everything wrong with the world, but what good would that do? Too often, we focus so much on the darkness that we forget to see the light. The bad overshadows the beauty and peace that still exist.
As editor-in-chief, my job is to give our not-so-little Jaguar family a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the world we share. And thanks to the First Amendment, I can do so without fear.
