By Anessa Olson

Parody, satire, and comedy have always been at the forefront of the First Amendment. This year, the 22^nd annual First Amendment Days will explore the freedom to laugh.  Join Ames Public Library and Iowa State University for a series of events that celebrate comedy and the power of free expression. 

Pun-damental Rights – April 16, 7 p.m. Ames Public Library

Celebrate by participating in (or laughing at) a First Amendment themed pun battle.  It promises to be a lot of pun(s)!  Presented in partnership with Ames Public Library and Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism. Supported by the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation. 

A Revolution was Once Televised: Norman Lear Sitcoms and Satire – April 17, 11 a.m. 169 Hamilton Hall.

Novotny Lawrence, former Greenlee professor and current director of the Black Film Center and Archive at the Media School of Indiana University Bloomington, will present a look at how the producer of “All in the Family,’’ and other sitcoms changed the way Americans looked at race, sex and other issues.

The Onion: Comedy, Controversy, and the First Amendment – April 17, 7 p.m. Memorial Union Sun Room. 

Mike Gillis, the head writer of the satirical website The Onion, will discuss how the First Amendment protects speech, even the snarky kind. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Gillis got his start at The Onion writing headlines as a contributor, eventually joining the staff as a writer and working his way up to head writer. His work has also appeared in The New Yorker and across the internet.

Feast on the First – April 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central Campus. 

Feast on the First continues its presence on Central Campus, mixing food and frivolity in celebration of the First Amendment. Faculty and students will lend their (lack of) artistic skills to draw pets (badly), with an accompanying fundraiser for the Story County Animal Shelter. Free T-shirts will be available, along with food prepared by student group Block & Bridle.

“The Crucible” – April 18, 19, and 27, 7:30 p.m. Fisher Theater, and April 28, 3 p.m.

The Iowa State University Department of Music and Theater presents an American classic based on the Salem witch trials of 1692, which tells the story of a village that becomes embroiled in a witch hunt. General admission $20; youth and ISU students free. Tickets are available at the door, through Iowa State Center Ticket Office, or any Ticketmaster.