Embedded Files
Become a member today! (it's free)
April Recap
Just like the temperature in the valley, we are heating up!
Good morning fellow ASU alumni,
Our board has been hard at work over the last month, continuing to build out our membership and fundraise for several events. Over the last couple of weeks, I introduced ASU Alumni for Free Speech to current and former candidates for statewide office, influential leaders in Arizona’s higher education and policy ecosystem, and ASU faculty.
The message from these meetings was clear: There is a serious need for an independent ASU alumni group dedicated to free speech, viewpoint diversity, academic freedom, and academic excellence.
Member activity with ASU:
A group of five alumni was able to attend an event on-campus featuring Dr. Paul Carrese—the former director of ASU’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership—hosted by ASU’s Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics and ASU’s Center for American Civics (with funding from the Jack Miller Center).
Carrese, a conservative, argued to a room full of ideologically diverse students that patriotism is not only good but a requirement of citizenship. Reflective patriotism, a phrase coined by Alexis de Tocqueville, was what Carrese commended them: A blend of traditional patriotism—a raw love of a place and people—and a reasonable belief in the ideals that America embodies (the rule of law, human equality, etc.). He received a fair bit of critical feedback, which he responded to as any decent professor would: With probing and a few great witty responses.
The event was a model for civic dialogue. Kudos to ASU. If you’re interested in attending events like this, there are still several events left in the series, concluding with an appearance from former Lieutenant General and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster.
Now our primary objective is fundraising more dollars to facilitate at least two events before the end of the year. If you are in a position to give—or know someone who might be in a position to give—please contact us at asualumniforfreespeech@gmail.com. Donations are tax-deductible, and should be addressed to the 1912 Institute (with whom we have a partnership). Some additional links that may be helpful:
Business plan available upon request
Recent news:
Arizona State University wins the 2026 Regents’ Cup: Arizona State University won the seventh annual Regents' Cup, the Arizona Board of Regents’ signature showcase of free speech and civil discourse among the state’s three public universities. The Sun Devil victory was punctuated by Jake Dueck and Sam Luba winning the Oxford debate competition, defeating Baibhav Saraf and Ayla Smith of Northern Arizona University. ASU’s Oxford debate teams of Shravya Aragam and Ryan Medrano, and Gauri Murkoth and Alexander Shin, also finished in a tie for third place.
Victory! UNC Chapel Hill backs away from comedy probe, reaffirms commitment to free speech: After first signalling that satire might trigger administrative scrutiny in the wake of an April Fools’ controversy, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has now clarified its position, retracted its public statement suggesting an investigation, and reaffirmed its commitment to free speech. That’s good news for UNC students, for its campus culture, and for anyone who wants colleges to handle controversy without punishing protected expression.
After Week of Negotiations, ED’s Accreditation Proposals Remain Intact: Historically the regulations said agencies “must set forth clear expectations for the institutions or programs it accredits” in categories such as “student achievement,” faculty” and “student support services.” But in its new proposal, the department expands on those regulations by adding wording such as “standards should require that academic freedom protections must be clearly articulated and applied consistently to faculty” regardless of “race or other immutable characteristics, viewpoint, or ideology.”
Member highlight: Landon Miller
Landon Miller is a data operations leader whose career bridges sports analytics, emerging technology, and civic engagement. A magna cum laude graduate of W. P. Carey, he earned his B.S. in Data Analytics in 2022. For the past four years, he has been with SportsDataIO, a leading global sports data provider, working across Data and Commercial Operations. Outside of his professional work, Landon is a founding board member, reflecting his continued investment in his alma mater and his commitment to fostering open discourse on campus. When asked to describe ASU’s impact, “It's a place where the sky itself rewards hard work, each sunset reflecting a day well earned. I’m forever grateful for the university's contribution to making me who I am today and hope to repay my gratitude to our community.”
Additional updates:
New website: Earlier this year we launched our brand new website. You can view it here. The website displays our mission/vision, profiles members of our board, republishes all of our newsletters, and provides pathways for new members to join and current and prospective members to donate to our cause.
Board: We recently announced our inaugural board, consisting of Sun Devils ranging from the class of 2015 to the class of 2023: Joe Pitts, Chairman (ASU ‘23), Landon Miller, Operations Director (ASU ‘22), Jen Springman, Boardmember (ASU ‘16), and Celeste Robertson, Boardmember (ASU ‘15). We are also pleased to announce that Sean Paige (ASU ‘85), one of our original cofounders, is joining us as a senior advisor.
Membership: Interested in becoming a member or recruiting some of your friends? You can sign up to be a member here. It’s free.
Upcoming events: Expect further details in the coming months on new events taking place this year across Arizona. We are planning to host at least two events in 2026.
Best regards,
Joe Pitts
Chairman, ASU Alumni for Free Speech
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse