There's no talking here.

(Pictures of last year's event, taken from Facebook)

So, this morning I went to an event at UF called The First Amendment Free Food Festival. I had learned a lot about it in the past week and knew it was going to be fun, but I didn't know it was going to be this much fun and this intense.

Outside the area of the event, volunteers yelled at students passing by to come in.

"Free food! Just sign away your first amendment rights! No big deal!"

Once the students signed away their rights and received a passport, they were able to come in and experience what things would be like if they really didn't have any of those 5 rights.

There was no talking. No standing or sitting near anybody. No laughing. They couldn't even choose which food they wanted to eat. Pizza? Hmm. No, I think I'd rather you have a sandwich instead.

One volunteer told a student she didn't like the way he was eating his chicken. Another told the student to move because he didn't like where she was standing.

"Your opinion doesn't matter," a sign near the food table read.

The dictator's lounge, where I was in charge, was where the "good" people went and got to sit at a table and eat cookies and ice cream.

"Here are your friends," Vice President of SPJ Ashley Hemmy said, leading a new member to the table. She was wearing boots, big aviator sunglasses and had a cigar sticking out of her mouth. "Don't talk to them."

If anyone did talk, I had to yell at them and tell them to shut up or I'd throw them in jail, which was also set up.

I'd have to say the best part of the day was when one girl in the dictator's lounge was being kicked out, grabbed a cookie, and I snatched it from her plate and put it back.

Another time, a student took his cell phone out at the lounge, and I yelled at him to put it away. Anyone who tried to sit down or even get near the lounge, I said, "Excuse me? Did anyone tell you that you could be here?"

I can easily say it was the bitchiest I've ever been in my life. And it was awesome.

People sat there and ate in silence. Some of them really looked intimidated by the whole situation, and a lot of others from outside looked afraid to even go in.

Actors from Theater Strike Force, an improv comedy group at UF, also volunteered for the event - some dressed as guards holding shields and sticks and others as regular students.

If a student came in with a newspaper, it was ripped to shreds. No free press. If an actor came in with a bible to protest, it was ripped to shreds as well.

"There's no religion here," a guard said.

Unfortunately I was not able to stay more than half an hour, but for the little time I stayed, I had an absolute blast. I hope the event really opened peoples' eyes to how important our first amendment rights are, and how getting a free lunch isn't worth it if you have to give up those rights.

It was the most fun and interesting thing I've done since I moved here this semester, and I can't wait to do it next year. I'm definitely going to go all out next time...or at least buying some of those intimidating aviator sunglasses.