1. The Forum

2. Fo - rum –noun, plural fo·rums, fo·ra 1.the marketplace or public square of an ancient Roman city, the center of judicial and business affairs and a place of assembly for the people. 2.a court or tribunal: the forum of public opinion. 3.an assembly, meeting place, television program, etc., for the discussion of questions of public interest. 4.the Forum, the forum in the ancient city of Rome. [Origin: 1425–75; late ME < L: marketplace, public place, akin to forīs, forās outside, forisdoor ]

3. The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum. Adlai E. Stevenson

26. Rules for Our Forum • One person speaks at a time. The speaker has “the floor.” • Show respect for the speaker both verbally and non-verbally. • Do clap if a person gives a presentation or speech. • Don’t interrupt the speaker. Raise your hand to be called on if it is appropriate to interact. Wait until the end if audience interaction is not appropriate.

27. Really listen – don’t just wait to jump in and speak. • Really speak – don’t try to become invisible. • Every voice matters – do share your opinion. • Free speech should be responsible, use language that is appropriate for a school forum. This is a form of self-respect. • Its OK to mess up as long as you try to fix it and prevent it.

28. Nod and make friendly eye-contact with nervous speakers. • Don’t prompt others, let the teacher do this. It is ok in our forum to have a pause to gather thoughts, but let those who need this do it for themselves. • Be empathetic. Speaking up can be very challenging – your ability to be a good audience will affect everyone’s ability to speak freely. • Be brave – dare yourself to say great and good things.

29. Understand the power of your voice and use it carefully. Your words have power and you must practice using them carefully or they will own you.

30. Actual human discourse happens within a number of contexts, not in some sort of unified public forum. Rowan D. Williams