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Garden City Community College, the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, and the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications have scheduled Sept. 16 as The Southwest Kansas Constitution/First Amendment Day, a stop on KSPA’s First Amendment Tour 2011, hosted by GCCC.

Advisers, students and administrators from every Kansas school and district are invited to attend.

Here’s the schedule for this FREE EVENT:

Friday, Sept. 16
8:30 a.m. Check in at Garden City Community College (specific building site TBA)

9 a.m. General session covering the history, the principles and the ideals behind the First Amendment and its value, not just to news media, but to a functioning democratic republic.
Moderator: Laura York Guy, GCCC. Likely panelists will include KU assistant professor Piotr Bobkowski, GCCC professors, First Amendment attorney Mark Johnson, KSPA Executive Director Jeff Browne and others.

10:30 a.m. Breakout sessions for the following groups:
A) High school students: We will focus on the Kansas Student Publications Act and its guarantee of rights as well as its focus on responsibility and ethical standards for student journalists. Moderator: Piotr Bobkowski, University of Kansas School of Journalism.

B) High school advisers, administrators and school board members: We will focus on the Kansas Student Publications Act and how it shields administrators who follow the law, and how advisers and administrators can work together to promote a healthy and free learning environment for students; Moderators: Mark Johnson and Jeff Browne, University of Kansas.

C) College students, advisers and administrators: We will focus on some of the key issues facing student journalists and the conflicts that arise. Moderator: Laura York Guy, GCCC.

11:45 a.m. Dismissal

If you and your students are interested in attending this special day, please send an email by Sept. 12 to Laura York Guy at [email protected] with
1) your name
2) the name of your school
3) the number of students who will attend
4) the names of others from your school/district who will attend and their positions (principal, assistant principal, school board member, superintendent)

Laura will respond to you with information about parking, session sites, food, etc.