Draft:Juan David Campolargo

Juan David Campolargo is a Venezuelan-American author and student at the University of Illinois known for his involvement in various projects and controversies related to free speech.

Early life and education
Campolargo is currently studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

He is recognized as an author, with notable works including Generation Optimism: How To Create The Next Generation of Doers and Dreamers. and The Cheesy Energy of Lithium. These publications explore themes associated with optimism and the significance of lithium in various fields. Campolargo has also given two TEDx Talks about optimism.

Projects
One of Campolargo's notable projects is The UIUC Talkshow. The show started as a simple idea and grew into a platform where Campolargo and his friend interview notable figures such as Stephen Wolfram, the creator of WolframAlpha and author of A New Kind of Science.

Another project is UIUCFreeFood, a platform that informs students about free food events across campus.

Free speech controversy
In 2023, Campolargo was accused of violating the university's student code of conduct after promoting an event on X, a social media platform owned by Elon Musk, as open with free food, when it was actually a private conference. The university's disciplinary actions against Campolargo included potential conduct probation and removal from campus housing.

In response, X hired the Schaerr Jaffe law firm to defend Campolargo at no cost and threatened to sue the university if they upheld and punished Campolargo for his post. The lawyers argued that if the university upheld the disciplinary charges over his posts, it would violate his First Amendment rights. This intervention aligns with Musk’s public support for free speech, marking the first known instance of X supporting a user's free speech rights.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign eventually rescinded its disciplinary action against Campolargo, dropping all charges and closing the case.