Emily Brestle ‘27, a spirited first-year student from Maple Valley, Washington, already embodies the essence of open dialogue. As someone who’s eager to engage in a conversation, and willing to consider all sides of an argument, it’s no surprise that Emily has found a home in the free speech movement in her first semester at Davidson. While considering a potential major in Political Science and Communications, Emily's involvement on campus spans a myriad of activities, from the Free Speech Alliance (FSA) to the pickleball and spikeball clubs, theater, YoungLife, and more.
Student Spotlight: Emily Brestle '27
Student Spotlight
Growing up in a suburb of Seattle, Emily has been accustomed to listening to a number of differing political opinions, which has laid the foundation for her robust support of free speech and civil discourse. As Emily puts it, “I am passionate about free speech because I grew up in an area where most people’s political beliefs differed from mine. It is important to me that everyone respects each other’s opinions even if they go against the accepted norm.”
Given her passionate support of discussion and debate, it is no surprise that she has found a deep appreciation for the Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse. “I am thankful that DFTD helps fund a variety of different speakers on campus. It is important to listen to people who do not share the same beliefs as you to help broaden your perspectives. They are very supportive of the Free Speech Alliance and just want to help students feel like they have a place where they can share their opinions without fear of judgment,” she said. Emily dreams of a society where all viewpoints are equally respected, regardless of political affiliation.
Beyond her advocacy, Emily’s zest for life shines through her hobbies—paddleboarding, skiing, tennis, pickleball, and rock climbing. Her adventurous spirit has resulted in a few bumps, bruises and broken bones along the way, but you’d never know it given her optimistic and positive demeanor. As she makes her way through Davidson, Emily is considering becoming a sign language interpreter, and this summer, she hopes to enter a sign language study abroad program in Italy to further her aspirations.
Emily's infectious enthusiasm for open dialogue and civil discourse makes her a driving force for positive change on campus, at home, and everywhere she goes.
Cornell and George Mason have allegedly violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The Daily Signal By Hannah Fay October 07, 2025 "On Sept. 5, we filed a civil rights complaint with the Department of Education and the Department of Justice against our alma mater, Davidson College. We did not make this decision out of anger towards Davidson but from our hope that Davidson can become an institution of free expression that encourages students to pursue truth. We had chosen Davidson as student athletes and recall being high school seniors, eager to attend a college where we could simultaneously pursue a high level of athletics and academics and be challenged to become better competitors, students and, most importantly, people. We believed that Davidson would be the perfect place for our personal growth, where we would be encouraged to encounter new ideas while contributing our own. Little did we know that Davidson does not welcome students with our convictions . During our senior year, we decided to restart the Davidson chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a national conservative student organization, which had been disbanded. With this decision, we knew that we would receive backlash from peers. Before the school semester even started, we received hateful online comments such as “Who let y’all out of the basement?” We saw how other universities treated conservatives and had even experienced hostility firsthand at Davidson, being called “homophobic” or “uninclusive” for our involvement in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, whose statement of faith declares that marriage is between a man and a woman. We realized that, although we were friends with progressive individuals for the past few years, fully aware and accepting of their political beliefs, they would likely distance themselves from us once they learned of ours. While we were prepared for this reaction from our peers, we did not expect to receive such opposition from Davidson administrators. We naively believed that despite the college’s leftist indoctrination efforts (requiring cultural diversity courses, mandating student athletics to watch a documentary arguing that all white people were inherently racist, having a DEI office, designating secluded spaces for LGBTQ+ students, etc.), they would still surely encourage free speech. After all, a liberal arts institution should cultivate a space where students can freely inquire, peacefully debate, and form decisions for themselves. Before the semester even began, we faced resistance from the administration as we could not get approval to restart the club from the Director of Student Activities Emily Eisenstadt for three weeks after a follow-up email and a faculty advisor request. Other conservative organizations also faced irresponsiveness from the Director of Student Activities. However, when leftist groups wanted to bring Gavin Newsom to campus, they had no problem getting a swift response. Despite continued administrative opposition, we hosted speakers, including pro-life activist Abby Johnson and President Ronald Reagan’s economic advisor Arthur Laffer; organized events such as the 9/11 “Never Forget”; and attempted to engage in civil conversations about abortion. Our efforts even led to us being awarded “Chapter Rookie of the Year” by Young America’s Foundation. Our most notable event, and the reason for our complaint, was our “Stand with Israel” project, in which we placed 1,195 Israeli flags into the ground to memorialize the innocent victims of the Oct. 7 Massacre by Hamas. We also laid out pamphlets on tables in the library and student union titled, “The Five Myths About Israel Perpetrated by the Pro-Hamas Left,” provided to us by Young America’s Foundation. This event led to two significant outcomes. First, our flags were stolen overnight. When we brought this to the attention of Davidson administrators and the Honor Council, they dismissed the case and chose not to investigate, despite their so-called commitment to the Honor Code. Second, on Feb. 26, 2025, over four months after the event, we received an email from Director of Rights and Responsibilities Mak Thompkins informing us that we faced charges of “violating” the Code of Responsibility. We had allegedly made students feel “threatened and unsafe” due to our distribution of pamphlets that allegedly promoted “Islamophobia.” This was ironic to us, given that we did not even know who our accusers were, let alone not ever having interacted with them. What’s more, we knew of Jewish students who genuinely felt targeted because of the rampant antisemitism on our campus. For example, a massive Palestine flag was hung across our main academic building the day after President Donald Trump won the election, and the student group ‘Cats Against Imperialism’—Davidson’s college moniker is “Wildcats”—distributed pamphlets promoting their aggressive pro-Palestinian agenda. Yet, unlike us, they faced no consequences. Davidson’s biased treatment towards pro-Israel students led to our filing a civil rights complaint with the DOJ and Department of Education. Davidson College must be held accountable for its blatant discrimination and violation of Title VI and Title IX ; it should not receive any federal funding until it complies with the federal law. In light of the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, it is now more important than ever that higher education promotes free expression. Colleges and universities are predominantly controlled by leftists who demonize conservatives and the values we stand for. If Davidson cannot commit to shaping students who understand the equal dignity of every person made in the image of God, regardless of religion, it risks corrupting individuals and prompting them to support, or even commit, acts of political violence. We hope that Davidson will become a community that values all perspectives and treats all students with dignity and respect, including the Jewish population. Though we are not of Jewish descent, we strongly support Israel and the Jewish people and faced discrimination based on the content of our support. If we had, as our counterparts did, expressed antisemitism, Davidson officials would have treated us differently. Hannah Fay is a communications fellow for media and public relations at The Heritage Foundation.
Evidence Backs Trump on Higher Ed’s Bias