We Americans thrive on our usage of the First Amendment – the freedom of speech. It’s a right we often take for granted, and one we don’t appreciate until it is taken away. We use our freedom of speech in so many mediums that sometimes it’s difficult to remember we even have that liberty – or worse yet, we abuse it.

The Student Government Association is holding an open forum with the theme “Let Your Voice Be Heard” on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The forum will begin at 7 p.m. in the Wakehurst Commuter Lounge.

The “Begin the Beguine” Valentine’s Day dance is coming to town as part of the Newport in the Jazz Age Festival.

Maggie Wiggins can still remember when she first knew that she had concocted some great chili when a Canadian man approached her one year to ask for her recipe. “He wanted to know if he could use my recipe to enter in his contest in Canada!” Wiggins laughed.

As “Friends of Ballroom Dancing” celebrates its seventeenth anniversary this year, 17 couples will join the organization in celebrating anniversaries of their own, including Dorothy and James Finn. Averaging one marriage a year, the ballroom dancing organization has helped people find one another since 1987.