According to a press release, the 27th annual Unity Conference — set for Oct. 2-3 — will focus on censorship.

“This year’s theme, ‘Redacted: Navigating the Complexities of Censorship,’ explores the issues of information control and ‘the balance of transparency and security, freedom of expression, and the role of technology in both enabling and challenging censorship,’ according to conference organizers,” the release said.

WSU News Coordinator Rachel Badali told the Standard-Examiner on Tuesday that the Unity Conference has become an important staple on campus.

“The conference is really an opportunity to build community, strengthen understanding and foster compassion,” she said. “It’s about providing a venue for students and others to learn by having important conversations and engaging with one another. This is the conference’s 27th year, and it’s evolved throughout the decades to address a wide range of relevant topics. Hundreds of attendees have had the opportunity to hear about subjects like neurodiversity, food insecurity and, this year, censorship.”

She said the conference’s theme comes at a pivotal moment.

“Censorship is such a timely topic right now,” she said. “There are so many current conversations around the balance of free speech, security, privacy and transparency — especially in today’s digital age. Also, this theme was requested after audience feedback during last year’s conference. It’s something top-of-mind for so many.”

This year’s Unity Conference starts at the WSU-Davis Campus (Building D2 Room 110) on Thursday from 6-8:30 p.m. with a screening of the film “Banned Together.”

“A cast of visionary teenagers, stirring public protests, private threats, criminal charges, and drama-filled school board meetings: this is the explosive world of Banned Together,” a synopsis of the movie on the Unity Conference’s website reads. “The film pulls back the curtain on two of the most controversial issues in America today: book bans and curriculum censorship in public schools. Banned Together follows three students as they fight to reinstate 97 books suddenly pulled from their school libraries. As they evolve from local to national activists, the film reveals the dark forces behind the accelerating wave of book bans in the U.S., and the continued harassment of educators and librarians.”

This will be followed by a student panel and audience discussion.

The conference continues Friday at WSU’s Ogden campus (Stewart Library) from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and will include a panel of faculty, staff and community voices followed by breakout sessions.

“Life often requires a nuanced understanding of others, and part of the conference’s mission is to promote success and readiness for a world that needs that sort of awareness,” Badali said. “So people can expect to learn and ask questions about important societal issues, gaining a deeper grasp of the challenges we face today.”

She said all are welcome to attend the conference, including community members, students and faculty.

For more information and to register for this year’s Unity Conference, visit https://www.weber.edu/unity-conference/.