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Pepperdine students no longer have to revert to their “Schoolhouse Rock” days to remember what they learned about the Constitution and amendment process.
More than 75 Pepperdine students attended the inaugural lecture Tuesday at the School of Law. The lecture was called “The Original Understanding of the Living Constitution — The Amendment Process,” and there was a special presentation on the Blaine Amendment, which would have prohibited the use of state funds on sectarian groups.
Last year, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W. Va. added a requirement to an appropriations bill that requires any school that receives federal money to teach students about the Constitution.
The institution must do this within a week of Sept. 17, the National Constitution Day.
The U.S. Department of Education requires that each educational institution that receives federal funds for a fiscal year must conduct an educational program on the U. S. Constitution for students served by the institution.
“It is always a good idea to focus on the Constitution for the concept of liberty throughout the U.S. and the world,” said keynote speaker Clint Bolick, the president and general counsel of the Alliance for School Choice. “I just wish it was not mandated by the government.”
Bolick gave the history of the failed Blaine Amendment of 1875, which 37 states have adopted into their own constitutions.
The Constitution has been amended 27 times in since its signing in 1787, but more than 11,000 amendments have been proposed. The Blaine Amendment would have prevented any federal dollars from going to religious schools.
The Blaine Amendment is a relevant topic for discussion to law students and Pepperdine students. If the principle of the amendment was expanded, it would mean federal aid could only be used at public schools, Bolick said.
The amendment passed in the House but fell four votes short in the Senate. According to Bolick, the Blaine Amendment discriminated against Catholics by restricting Protestant funds from going to their schools.
The main obstacle in getting school vouchers is the opposition from the state constitutions that have incorporated the Blaine amendment, Bolick said.
Professor Douglas K. Kmiec, the Caruso Chair for Constitutional Law, coordinated the Constitution Day lecture. The event was co-sponsored by the student chapter of the Pepperdine University Federalist Society, which was in charge of publicizing the event. Douglas also serves as the Federalist Society adviser.
“We had a lot of involvement in making sure everyone knows about Constitution Day,” said Katie Kmiec, second-year law student and public relations director for the Federalist Society. “As for picking the people to come, that was up to those on the higher level.”
The panel consisted of Douglas, Bolick, a brief response to the keynote speech from School of Law Dean Kenneth Starr, Dr. Chris Soper, director of the Center for Faith and Learning and Professor Gordon Lloyd of the School of Public Policy.
“When you have a group of scholars that are so well versed in the issues … they are making the laws, it’s good to sit back and watch them do their thing,” said Federalist Society President and third-year law student Andrew Eveleth.
This may not have been a samba dance to celebrate the Constitution, but it was informative, Douglas said.
“I don’t think I would make any changes,” Eveleth said. “I would just be interested to see what topics would be debated.”
Other events celebrating Constitution Day included a reading of the Constitution in Payson Library as well as students signing a replica of the document. Pepperdine students no longer have to revert to their “Schoolhouse Rock” days to remember what they learned about the Constitution and amendment process.
More than 75 Pepperdine students attended the inaugural lecture Tuesday at the School of Law. The lecture was called “The Original Understanding of the Living Constitution — The Amendment Process,” and there was a special presentation on the Blaine Amendment, which would have prohibited the use of state funds on sectarian groups.
Last year, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W. Va. added a requirement to an appropriations bill that requires any school that receives federal money to teach students about the Constitution.
The institution must do this within a week of Sept. 17, the National Constitution Day.
The U.S. Department of Education requires that each educational institution that receives federal funds for a fiscal year must conduct an educational program on the U. S. Constitution for students served by the institution.
“It is always a good idea to focus on the Constitution for the concept of liberty throughout the U.S. and the world,” said keynote speaker Clint Bolick, the president and general counsel of the Alliance for School Choice. “I just wish it was not mandated by the government.”
Bolick gave the history of the failed Blaine Amendment of 1875, which 37 states have adopted into their own constitutions.
The Constitution has been amended 27 times in since its signing in 1787, but more than 11,000 amendments have been proposed. The Blaine Amendment would have prevented any federal dollars from going to religious schools.
The Blaine Amendment is a relevant topic for discussion to law students and Pepperdine students. If the principle of the amendment was expanded, it would mean federal aid could only be used at public schools, Bolick said.
The amendment passed in the House but fell four votes short in the Senate. According to Bolick, the Blaine Amendment discriminated against Catholics by restricting Protestant funds from going to their schools.
The main obstacle in getting school vouchers is the opposition from the state constitutions that have incorporated the Blaine amendment, Bolick said.
Professor Douglas K. Kmiec, the Caruso Chair for Constitutional Law, coordinated the Constitution Day lecture. The event was co-sponsored by the student chapter of the Pepperdine University Federalist Society, which was in charge of publicizing the event. Douglas also serves as the Federalist Society adviser.
“We had a lot of involvement in making sure everyone knows about Constitution Day,” said Katie Kmiec, second-year law student and public relations director for the Federalist Society. “As for picking the people to come, that was up to those on the higher level.”
The panel consisted of Douglas, Bolick, a brief response to the keynote speech from School of Law Dean Kenneth Starr, Dr. Chris Soper, director of the Center for Faith and Learning and Professor Gordon Lloyd of the School of Public Policy.
“When you have a group of scholars that are so well versed in the issues … they are making the laws, it’s good to sit back and watch them do their thing,” said Federalist Society President and third-year law student Andrew Eveleth.
This may not have been a samba dance to celebrate the Constitution, but it was informative, Douglas said.
“I don’t think I would make any changes,” Eveleth said. “I would just be interested to see what topics would be debated.”
Other events celebrating Constitution Day included a reading of the Constitution in Payson Library as well as students signing a replica of the document.
Submitted 09-22-2005
MALIBU, CA
