UIS celebrates constitution day

By Ashley Rook - General Assignment Reporter

While most boys his age were busy idolizing sports stars, Professor Martin Redish had a different kind of hero on his bedroom wall: Supreme Court Justice William O'Douglas. At the U.S. Constitution Day Forum on Sept. 19, Redish's passion for constitutional law was apparent as he, Judge Jeanne E. Scott and Professor Pinky Wassenberg spoke about politics, the constitution and Supreme Court appointments.

The forum was sponsored by the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership and held in honor of U.S. Constitution Day, the result of a recent amendment that requires schools that receive federal funds to hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, the date on which the Constitution was signed in 1787. If the date falls on a weekend, the program may be held the week before or after. In addition to the forum, Brookens Library also held a series of broadcasts in PAC G on Sept. 16 in celebration of U.S. Constitution Day, including the programs “Beyond the Patriot Act,” “Our Constitution: A Conversation with Supreme Court Justices O'Connor and Breyer” and “Free Speech in the Digital Age”.

According to Barbara Ferrara, interim executive director of the Center for State Policy and Leadership, the topic of the forum was chosen due to the national attention currently focused on the Supreme Court and the nomination of Judge John Roberts for Chief Justice. The forum opened with a brief introduction by Professor B. Douglas Anderson, followed by a keynote address from Redish, professor of law and public policy at Northwestern University School of Law, and a national authority on federal jurisdiction and constitutional law.

In his address, Redish spoke about the role of the Supreme Court in American constitutional democracy, as shown by his analysis of three major Supreme Court cases: Brown vs. Board of Education, Roe vs. Wade and Bush vs. Gore.

In his discussion of constitutional law, Redish criticized the use of constitutional moments, or generally accepted legislation that is not constitutionally supported, and supported the use of normative thought if the text did not clearly answer a question of constitutionality. He also stressed the importance of walking the fine line between constitutionality of law and ideological concerns, saying, “A student should not assume that because they are for or against something that the Constitution speaks to it.”

Jeanne E. Scott, U.S. district court judge for the central district of Illinois, used her own personal experience in the judicial system to respond to Redish's address. In a humorous anecdote, Scott admitted that the large amount of paperwork involved in her own appointment caused her to spend so much time photocopying documents at Kinko's that the manager offered her a job there.

Speaking of the Supreme Court, Scott was more critical, stating that its relationship with Congress is the worst in years, and that the Constitution has invalidated as many laws in the past 20 years as in the past 200.

As a self-proclaimed “closet Redish groupie,” Pinky Wassenberg, professor of political studies and dean of the College of Public Affairs and Administration at UIS, agreed with the professor's thoughts. She discussed the importance of the centrality of the rule of law, pointing out that “if our side can make things up, so can the other side,” and said that American political culture needs to distinguish that there is a place for law, a place for politics and places where the two overlap.

Scott and Wassenberg's comments were followed by a brief comment from Redish, and a series of questions from the audience that were answered by the entire panel, ranging from the validity of previous Supreme Court decisions to the use of international standards in arguments about constitutionality. After the forum ended, a reception was held in the Brookens Concourse for all in attendance.

Intern program enrolls record number of students

By Mallory Medved - Copy Editor

For the third straight year, the Graduate Public Service Intern program at UIS has placed a record number of graduate students into internships ranging from grant writing to environmental research.

According to a release on the UIS Web site, this year's crop of interns tops out at 131, up from 105 in 2004 and 75 in 2003. This is the largest group in the program's 30-year history, according to program director Kim Hayden.

“I think it's a win-win situation all-around,” said Hayden. “This is just another public service the university offers the state. During these hard fiscal times for the state, the agencies get a professional-level employee for almost two years at a reduced cost. It's a win-win for students because they get their master's degree while also getting almost two years of professional experience.”

The GPSI program gives students the opportunity to gain experience in their desired field while, at the same time, completing their master's studies in one of 18 master's programs at UIS. Interns are placed for up to 21 months, starting in August of one year and finishing in May, two years later. According to the Web site, the program has placed over 1,700 interns since its inception in 1974.

Hayden said that any local public or private company or nonprofit organization in the Springfield area could offer an internship through the program.

Intern Usha Chadalawada first came to Springfield while attending SIU Medical School. She decided to enroll at UIS to get her master's degree in Public Health. Since 2003, she's interned at Illinois Health Cares, a division of the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority. Her job entails research, coordination between agencies and conference planning. She specializes in domestic and family violence.

Chadalawada says her experience in the GPSI has given her valuable experience outside of what a normal master's program would give. “It's exactly what a student should be learning for the workplace that they learn in the classroom. It's learning in the classroom what we would be learning in the workplace.”

Benefits for interns include monthly stipend, tuition waivers and mentoring support from the GPSI office.

To qualify for the GPSI program, students must be enrolled in a UIS master's degree program and have a GPA of at least 2.50. Students also enroll in a one-credit seminar on the program each semester for both years of the internships.

Selena King is a second-year GPSI intern, working towards her master's degree in public administration at the Bureau of Collections for the Illinois Dept. of Health Care and Family Services. She did her undergrad at Bradley University in Peoria but had to go elsewhere to continue her studies at the graduate level. “ I knew a little bit about the GPSI program and I thought what a wonderful way to pay for my education and gain public sector experience,” she said via e-mail.

Like Chadalawada, King believes the strength of the GPSI lies in the real-world experience offered to students while still enrolled in graduate school. “ I am gaining so much knowledge about how the state actually works and how to get things done. I have my own workload and my own projects and that will give me more skills to take out the door with me.”

SGA elections give voice to the student body

By Laura Camper - SGA reporter

In a decisive win junior Bob Skorczewski, who has been serving as the interim vice president, was elected vice president of the Student Government Association by almost two-thirds of the vote.

Skorczewski, a political studies major, campaigned on his experience at UIS. “I know the campus. I know how it works,” he says. He says that he has interacted with traditional, transfer and non-traditional students as the interim vice president and is open to the needs of all students.

In a closer race, freshman Adam Beaty won the office of Senator for the Capital Scholars Program by 21 votes. Beaty, also a political science major, says he wants to be as involved as possible in student life at UIS and wants to make sure that other students have that opportunity as well. “This is their college career and they should be able to make the best of it.”

Joining Beaty and Skorczewski on the SGA as the new Senators at Large will be junior Eric Cromer, a business management major, and junior Matthew Riedle, a history major. Ashley Rook was the top vote-getter.

Riedle says, “I want to make a difference in the school.” He says that watching his friend, Tyson Roan, serve as last year's SGA president has given him a good handle on UIS and he feels he will be able to serve effectively for all students.

Ryan Morrison, a graduate student in English received 177 votes in an uncontested bid for the Senator for the Liberal Arts and Sciences program. He was active at UIS for four years as an undergraduate and now, as a graduate student, he says he can bring experience and innovative ideas to the SGA. “As an active graduate student and having marked my first four years at UIS during a time of much transition and change, I am confident in my abilities to negotiate the changing times ahead as a representative of students and their needs in the academic community.”

LaTrice Nettles, a sophomore accounting major will serve as the Senator for the Business and Management program. She received 188 votes for her uncontested seat. She challenges UIS students to make UIS the best campus it can be. “It's a new year, and we have a job to do: contribute! Let's excel in the classrooms, inspire in the arts, dominate in athletics, stir-up school spirit, enhance the beauty of our campus, and flourish in campus life, clubs and activities!”

UIS celebrates constitution day

Intern program enrolls record number of grad students

SGA elections give voice to the student body