CONWAY, Ark (Sept. 12, 2005) - As part of Hendrix College's Constitution Day celebration, Jay Barth, associate politics professor at Hendrix, will be speaking on "John Roberts and the Constitution" at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, in the Bailey Library Atrium.
Barth's discussion is intended to increase public awareness of the U.S. Constitution and explore Robert's role in relation to the Constitution. A student exhibit on the Constitution will be on display in the library. Observing Constitution Day is a federal mandate under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 for all educational institutions receiving federal funds.
According to Barth, the U.S. Supreme Court has played the role of intermediary between the Constitution and the American public, and as the U.S. Senate considers the nomination of an individual who could possibly lead the Supreme Court for the next generation, it's appropriate to discuss what is known about Roberts' view of that Constitution.
"The scope of the rights of Hendrix students and the breadth of the powers of the government under which they live will be determined over the coming generation by the individuals who will fill the two Supreme Court vacancies being filled now," he said.
Barth is a leading analyst, author and academic authority on the politics of Arkansas and the South. Since 1994, he has been a faculty member in the Department of Politics at Hendrix where he has served as chair of the department and chair of the Gender Studies program.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college that emphasizes experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The recipient of the 2005 Arthur Vining Davis Foundations' Award for Excellence, the college has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. In April 2005, Hendrix was selected by the Princeton Review as the nation's #4 "best value" college in its Top 10 Best Value Colleges guide. For more information about Hendrix, visit www.hendrix.edu.
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Contact: Judy Williams, 501/450-1462, williamsj@hendrix.edu