CSUN students filled the seats on the Chicana/o house front lawn on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2026, for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) free speech event. All CSUN students were welcome to speak at the event; students shared essays, spoken word poetry, life experiences and anything they felt like saying.

Professors Mildred Fuentes Chung and Gamboa Wong were the facilitators of this event and introduced each student.

The event served beverages, nachos, chips and popcorn for students to enjoy. Three raffles allowed multiple students to win a $25 Matacard. The event included an open mic session where students who did not sign up to speak could get a chance to speak as well.

“Guests are encouraged to listen with curiosity and uphold the EOP Bridge RAM values: respect, responsibility, attitude, and maturity,” said Wong.

Wong added that the event commemorates the students who used their freedom of speech to fight for the creation of the EOP program in 1969.

“This event is really important because the EOP free speech event at California State Northridge began in 2007 to honor the students, staff, and faculty of the late 1960s who used their First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly to demand greater access and equity in higher education,” said Wong. “ Today, you will also occupy space and practice your right to free speech. We bring the campus community together to share ideas, listen, and connect. This event welcomes open dialog and a range of viewpoints.”

Chung emphasized that they wanted to encourage students to use their voice and speak out about their feelings.

“I always tell students, you can say what you feel and what you want to say, but there’s always a way to say things, and if you do it with respect, then we have better communication in general as human beings,” Chung said.

Wong added that students should take up space on campus and stand up for their experiences. The free speech event gave students a way to express how they feel; many took the opportunity to thank EOP for allowing them to speak freely and expressed that they were grateful for the program being there for them.

“The university wouldn’t be here without students, and so to take up their space and use their voice in taking up that space, right? Not being afraid to take up that space. I think that that’s really critical,” Wong said. “ And I think you know every year this is such a great event because it celebrates that, right? Like it’s a quick moment, but it’s a moment saved for students to have that space to feel empowered.”

The next event hosted at the Chicana/o house is the Día de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 7, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.