The Institute for Free Speech is excited to host Meghan Brandabur and Mark D’Ostilio as interns in our Research Department this summer.
Meghan is entering her fifth year at Miami University (of Ohio), where she is part of the University’s combined BA/MA program. Meghan will graduate in May of 2020 with the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies; Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication; Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and Global Politics; and Master of Arts in Political Science. Last summer, Meghan participated in The Fund for American Studies’ Institute on Economics and International Affairs, and she interned at the National Defense University’s College of Information and Cyberspace. At this internship, she conducted research on cyber relations between Russia and the United States and had her work published.
“I have always believed that free speech is an important fundamental right given to us by the First Amendment, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how often this right can be encroached upon or threatened,” Meghan said. “I think that, for the most part, there is a general belief in the United States in the abstract idea of free speech. Most people would say that free speech is a good thing, yet when it comes down to specific issues, laws, and regulations, some people might not realize how much one restriction can affect our right to free speech. This is why I am very excited to be interning at the Institute for Free Speech and conducting research this summer. I believe that making others more aware of how different laws and regulations can affect free speech is a very important mission.”
Mark is a rising senior at the Pennsylvania State University, where he studies Criminology and History. In his time on campus, Mark has worked as a Research Assistant on the Penn State Intergroup Hostility Project, which sparked his passion for free speech in the United States. In addition, Mark has had valuable summer experiences working as a legal intern and as a student studying Crime, Law, and, Justice from an international perspective in the Netherlands. Mark is looking forward to returning to school in the fall, where he will be serving as President of the Penn State Justice Association.
As Mark explained, “to me, free speech and the mission of IFS is essential in continuing the tradition of representative democracy, as envisioned by our nation’s founders. It is critical that the American people can promote or criticize their elected officials without restriction because the United States was designed to serve as a haven for the free flow of diverse ideas and beliefs. However, when citizens are regulated in how they can and cannot speak, the playing field becomes tilted, democracy is no longer competitive, and the people lose control of the government. I’m looking forward to interning at the Institute for Free Speech this summer and producing research to promote a better understanding of Americans’ political speech rights.”
Meghan and Mark will focus their efforts this summer on researching restrictions on political speech, and the effects these regulations have on First Amendment freedoms. They will also contribute to the Institute’s blog with original commentary on a variety of free speech issues and help produce the Institute’s Daily Media Update.
