📰The Belltower Times (November 2025)

FFSA receives shoutout from President Davis over Homecoming weekend.

Furman Free Speech Alliance

Nov 04, 2025

Announcements:

Last month, we had a fantastic turnout at our second annual tailgate during Furman University’s Homecoming! It was great to see so many current students, alumni, and friends of Furman gather under the FFSA banner, swap stories, and strengthen our commitment to free speech and open dialogue on campus.

Furman Trivia: Football Edition

How much do you know about Furman? This section will test your knowledge. Our question this month is about Furman’s football team.

Question: “The ‘Paladins’ nickname was adopted in 1961 — what was Furman’s football team called before then?”

*Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter!*

Campus Dispatch: President Davis publicly recognized the Furman Free Speech Alliance

On October 24, the Tocqueville Center facilitated an event on the Crisis in American Higher Education featuring President Elizabeth Davis, Senator Ben Sasse, and Dr. John Tomasi (the inaugural president of Heterodox Academy). In her opening remarks, President Davis recognized FFSA’s positive impact on campus culture:

“At Furman, we’ve observed a rise in concern about free speech in recent years. Conservative students, more frequently than liberal students, say they self-censor, choosing to keep their thoughts to themselves rather than speak up in class or social settings for fear of being ridiculed. That’s not acceptable. Getting doxxed, shamed on social media or “unfriended” because of one’s political or religious views is a legitimate fear. Some of our alumni from the Furman Free Speech Alliance are here. They let me know when they think we’re limiting speech or exposure to ideas and perspectives, and they, along with other groups and individuals, are vocal advocates for free speech. I appreciate their doggedness. We should acknowledge, too, that Furman is a small community where belonging and mattering as an individual is a necessary condition of thriving and doing one’s best work. Thus, engaging thoughtfully and empathetically with those who share different beliefs or values, is critical.”

You can read Davis’ full address here, in which she emphasizes the University’s commitment to free expression and academic freedom, as well as some of the challenges in higher education today. We appreciate that she is listening — and her public recognition — and hope this public statement suggests continued action by Furman to protect free expression on campus.

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CLPs of the Month:

Furman students must attend 32 Cultural Life Programs (CLPs) to graduate. CLPs are university-approved events meant to “enrich” and “build community.”

But what counts as “cultural enrichment” these days?

Here are some interesting CLPs from November:

On Thursday, September 11, “How Democracy Shows Up Where You Live” through the On Discourse program
On Thursday, November 13 “What Really Matters?”
On Tuesday, November 18 “The Presidency and the Power to Lead”

Trivia Answer:

The Hurricanes, until the school adopted “Paladins” as the official nickname for all athletic teams in September of 1961.