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— LION’SEYE —
March, 1991
Happy Birthday, B of R
By Angela Deal
Think back two hundred years. Did
all of the people in the original thirteen
colonies quickly join together and
unanimously decide to build a
constitution for the national government
of the new world? As a matter of fact,
no.
It could be this sort of misconception
that urged the Act of Congress and the
Commission on the Bicentennial of the
United States Constitution to sponsor the
National Bicentennial Competion on the
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
As the Bill of Rights celebrates its
Bicentennial in December, 1991, a little
should be understood about its origin
and importance.
In creating the Bill of Rights, the
colonists were expressing a great deal of
apprehension about the new national
government, which was by that time
fully into effect.
Pennsylvania, one of the first five
colonies to ratify the Constitution, was
host to most of the controversy
concerning the new government.
Massachusetts also experienced a lot of
controversy and ratified the Constitution
only with the conditions that there be a
~ Bill of Rights.
Although hard to believe, nobody
knew if this new framework of national
government would work. The
Constitution’s lasting strength owes
much to its amending process.
These first ten amendments, the Bill
of Rights, are the rights reserved for the
people to protect the freedoms of
religion, speech and the press, the right
to assemble peacefully with others, and
the right to petition the federal
government to correct wrongs. It
requires federal officials to obtain search
warrants from a court before searching a -
person’s home. It provides for trial by
jury in criminal cases and prohibits
excessive bail and “cruel and unusual
punishment”. Furthermore, it gives
individuals the right not to testify against
themselves in court, and limits the
powers of the federal government to
those specifically named in the
Constitution.
The Bill of Rights implicitly reveals
the distrust the people of the new world
felt about a national government. This
paranoia provided the basis for a
document which would influence greatly
the way we the people live.
While there are millions of people
learning about the Constitution and Bill
of Rights every day, there are a number
of high school and elementary school
students participating in the National
Bicentennial Competition on the
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The Competition, which began in
1987, the Bicentennial of the
Constitution, teaches the students the
philosophical, economical and historical
influences that contributed to the making
of the Constitution. :
According to George Franz, Associate
Professor of History and 7th
Congressional District Coordinator for
the National Bicentennial Competition
on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, it
is important to emphasize study of the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
He feels that the students receive a
great deal from the Competition, and
says that “the high school level is
especially unique. Because it is
competitive, the students need to
internalize the principles, rather than
merely memorize them, and are able to
assess them to current events.”
The students partake in a six week
course, which covers basic principles
concerning our Constitutional
Democracy and the history of our
Constitution.
There are competitive and non-
competitive programs offered in the
Competition. At the high school level
the class works as a group and must pass
a written test with an average of at least
seventy percent. They are given the
opportunity to retake the test as often as
needed.
The National Competition is
designed to simulate a congressional
hearing in which the class is divided into
six teams and must offer a short
presentation and response on one of the
six topics covered in the instructional
program.
In the middle and upper elementary
school level, only congressional districts
and states may choose to hold
competitions.
In the non-competitive program the
class completes the course, takes the
written test and may choose to hold a
simulated congressional hearing.
For information on activities
concerning the Bicentennial of the Bill
of Rights, call the National Park Service
Visitor’s Center at 597-8787 in
Philadelphia.
Students cram for their mid-terms at the February 22nd Cram n’ Jam.
Photo by: Diana Miceri
Earth to Delco: WAKE UP!
Continued from Page 5
As 1 write, I cannot help but think
perhaps I am not reaching anyone.
Perhaps I am writing and no one is
reading! Is anybody out there? Answer
please! And if you are reading this I
doubt I want to talk to you at all. Quick
hand this article to the person sitting
across from you! You know the one I
mean. The one who is sleeping, picking
his or her nose, eating Twinkies, or
otherwise preoccupying themselves in an
unproductive way.
I feel remorse and writer’s cramp
because the apathetic slugs who should
read this probably won’t. (That’s why
I’m writing so much, so I take up more
paper and my article is harder to miss.)
Am I constantly talking to a bunch of
brick walls? Are all of my friendly
pronouncements in the cafeteria to
advertise events in vain? (Yes, I am the
guy who stands on the tables and yells
the day’s events to you while you eat.)
Who are all of you? Students or
mindless zombies along for the college
ride? Open your eyes, look around, read
a sign.
All of this may sound very gruesome
but the year is far from over. Many
activities are still yet to come.
Information is written in black and white
on posters for you to see. Tattoo these
dates on your arms and legs. (Forehead
if you're extra forgetful.)
Education is not always found in
Just the classroom. We as humans learn
just as much from social interaction and
extracurricular activities. (That is what
my mother always tells me.) Perhaps
this kick in the butt will wake a sleeping
giant, but then again maybe I have just
been beating a dead horse.
I would like to challenge you to
attend just one campus event. I will
guarantee a fun time and you may learn
something. I would also like to
challenge a reply to this article if you
can come up with some good reasons
why not to attend Delco functions
AWARDS:
1st Prize:
RULES
I. Any style; any subject.
2. Entry fee: $3 per poem.®
3. Maximum 40 lines per poem.
4. Send 2 copies of each poem,
one copy of the poem alone,
the other with poet’s name
and address on it.
5. Poems must be in English,
original, unpublished, not
currently submitted elsewhere.
6. Poems will not be returned.
7: For contest results, enclose
SASE marked "winners."
8. Make checks payable to
"CSUF Foundation.”
All poems entered will be
considered for publication
in SCPJ.
South Coast Poetry Journal
6TH ANNUAL
POETRY CONTEST
Final Judge: Philip Levine
$200 and publication in SCPJ
2nd Prize: $75 and publication in SCPJ
3rd Prize: $50 and publication in SCPJ
CHECKLIST
1. Two copies of each poem.
One of each pair should
carry poet's name and
address.
2. Check.
3. SASE marked “winners”
(optional).
Entries must be postmarked
March 29, 1991 or earlier.
SEND ENTRIES TO:
Contest
SOUTH COAST POETRY JOURNAL
English Department
CSUF
Fullerton, CA 92634
Names of Winners will be mailed
by May 31, i991.
“Focts entering 3 or mote poems will
receive a free one-year subscription to SCPJ
outside the classroom. (Maybe there are
some I haven’t heard.)
I fear no literary reprisal because
Delco’s masses are probably asleep and
there are no valid arguments as to why
you cannot make time to have fun. All
of our events are planned well in
advance and there should be no problem
getting off from work or making time to
show up.
I would also like to make this
promise. The first ten people, regardless
of who you are, who come to me to
express interest in our SGA, SAC, or
other events will be admitted free to any
events that may cost any money. Just
come find me and I will give you a free
pass.
So join a club, get involved, show up!
Exercise your American rights to get
involved and help spend your money!
(Interesting concept, huh?) WAKE UP
DELCO! SMELL THE FRESH
BREWED DE-CAF!
Rich Schaeffer
Vice-President, SGA
Try Some Opera;
See Don Pasquale
Have you ever wondered what it’s
like to experience live opera? To sit in
one of the seats of the enormous, elegant
Academy of Music in Philadelphia and
soak in the sights and sounds of a lavish
and entertaining production?
Well, you can get that chance this
Friday, March 15, when the Opera
Company of Philadelphia presents
Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, one
of the greatest Italian opera buffas.
If money is a problem, plan to arrive
about two hours before the 8 PM curtain
time to line up for half-price seating in
the amphitheatre. The seats are high up,
but the price is low: only $8.
If understanding Italian is a problem,
then take advantage of the unique
system of projected English subtitles,
which the Opera Company is using for
the first time with this production.
Don Pasquale is a comic masterpiece
which premiered in Paris in 1843. It
presents the story of an elderly bachelor
who disinherits his nephew because of
his intended wedding to a young and
beautiful widow, Norina.
When the stubborn old man decides
to take a bride for himself, his friend Dr.
Malatesta and Norina trick him into
marrying Norina, whom Don Pasquale
has never met. But he becomes horrified
by Norina’s shrewish behavior and
gratefully accepts his nephew’s offer to
marry her instead.
An international cast is presenting
this Philadelphia debut of Don Pasquale.