2009 First Amendment Symposium

Hannah Nixon
Blog for March 13 Issue

Held in the Indiana State House on March 3rd, 2009, the First Amendment Symposium was crowded with dedicated high school journalists from all over Indiana. Joined by Bloomington High School North Principal Jeffry Henderson, he spoke about the freedom he offers to his media department at North. Governor Daniels spoke of the vitality of keeping newspapers alive, and Marybeth Tinker, a hero in the world of journalism, spoke of her great success with Freedom of Speech. Governor Daniels said, “The one chance we’ve got, I believe is in the newspapers in this state. This is an element of democracy we must not lose.”

Apart from these figures of authority, there were several high school students who spoke on topics imperative to the First Amendment. One spoke of integrity, one of truth, one of courage, and one of freedom. As each student spoke, their belief in the First Amendment rang in their words. One student in particular rang with plain noise. She began with sharing her first encounter with speaking her mind, something involving a lion and a storybook in first grade. She ended on a more serious example, and yet throughout the entirety of her speech she neglected to refer to the actual topic she was assigned: freedom. Her purpose in the end was to emphasize the importance of respecting all peoples’ views- whether in agreement with them or not. Because of the words spoken by this student on March 3, but more so because of the First Amendment, I am able to say that I believe she delivered a disastrous speech. Between unnecessary pauses, repeated uses of the word “like,” and rolling her eyes, she delivered a speech that wasn’t associated with freedom at all but rather with respect. Despite this small depression of the ceremony, the First Amendment Symposium was an overall success. The message of belief was illustrated through several winning essays, and the character trait of leadership was demonstrated by High School Journalist of the Year Aliya Mood.

The same week of the 2009 First Amendment Symposium the Rocky Mountain Newspaper died in Colorado after 150 years. Governor Daniels addressed this and stated his opinion saying, “The danger to democracy- that is the danger in American Journalism. Newspaper has been an effect of life, still is as far as I’m concerned.” Although Newspapers throughout the United States are failing, there is no less truth and no less vitality in the First Amendment. It lives on, and it is the work of journalists all through America that are keeping the dream alive.