Constitution by BRAD PRENDERGAST Originally Ratified in 1791
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Wednesday, February 12, 1997 • Vol. XXX No. 89 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME AND SAINT MARY'S Scalia denounces idea of 'living' constitution By BRAD PRENDERGAST originally ratified in 1791. of the "living" Constitution. News Editor "Those things that were clearly con "We are now operating under a doc stitutional then are clearly constitu ument which is [mistakenly] under Arguing that the Constitution tional now, and those things that were stood to reflect whatever our passions "means what it says and says what it clearly unconstitutional then are are," Scalia said. "It morphs from means," U.S. Supreme Court Justice clearly unconstitutional now," Scalia generation to generation. It means Antonin Scalia denounced the idea said. whatever it ought to mean. That's the that the Constitution should be mold The right to an abortion and the living Constitution." ed to fit the changing demands of the right to die, Scalia said, are not pro- Drawing on his belief in the strict American public. interpretation of the document, Scalia Scalia, speaking to a standing room pointed to some problems with the only audience in DeBartolo Hall yes notion of a living Constitution. terday afternoon, took the American 'We are now oper- First, a living Constitution necessi people to task for their recent trend of ating under a tates that the Supreme Court justices looking to the Constitution instead of determine the path of American law, looking to the legislatures whenever document which is a power that Scalia said ought to an issue arose with which they dis [mistakenly] understood remain in the hands of the legislative agreed. to reflect whatever our branch. "(Forty years ago,] when a person "There's nothing in our Constitution was frustrated with a state of affairs, passions are.' that says the Supreme Court shall be someone would pound the table and the authoritative interpreter of it," say, 'There ought to be a law.' But Antonin Scalia Scalia said. "If you think that this is a today, people cry, 'That's unconstitu document that reflects the changing tional,"' Scalia, a 10-year member of Supreme Court Justice standards of decency in society, why the Supreme Court, said. "It is the did you give it to nine lawyers to fig problem of the American people and vided for in the wording of the ure out? their perception of what the Constitution, and are therefore not to "My qualifications as a lawyer don't Constitution means." be decided by that document or by the give me any special powers to know, According to Scalia, the meaning of Supreme Court. To Scalia's consterna for example, what constitutes an the Constitution is stagnant, unchang tion, this tendency to read new rights The Observer/ Megan Welsh Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia discussed his ing from when the Bill of Rights were into the document has given it the tag see AW ARDI page 4 interpretation of the constitution in 101 DeBartolo. ND honors monk with award Panel: Ebonies debate Special to the Observer Notre Dame Award Tlw University will honor Brother Roger, the distorts central issue founder and prior of the ecumenical Taize commu Recipients By LAURA PETELLE Johnson began the panel's nity in eastern France, with the 1996 Notre Dame r:i1:992.tittfB\XiH®:ti,!~L;,. , .•.··. ··· · News Writer remarks by saying that she felt Award for international humanitarian service. Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter it was important to focus on The 81-year-old Brother Roger, who observes the (Former U.S. President and First Lady) The debate about ebonies cen- "the victim - the children." Taize community's custom of foregoing the use of :,:~:\,~~:Ha!J~ill~~~l!h1111J~i%:i~::.:: ters too often around issue of Johnson said that she felt that Mother Theresa of Calcutta family names, will be on campus to address the racial power rather than the the focus of the ebonies debate Notre Dame community in a ceremony and to (Religious Missionary) !ill1EI\!Iil:ll iiE:if:trilllilitiiT®?;iit·· effective education of the chil- should be on the children and receive the award on April 24. dren involved, according to a what was best for the children "For more than half a century, Brother Roger Jean Vanier (Founder of I'Arche communities for the handicapped) panel discussion last night. and not on the politics involved. and his companions have born witness to Christ in The panel included Chandra "We have to take and view an increasingly secular Western culture," said K\!1:995';,!£~ Helen Suzman Johnson, assis- and deal with Notre Dame's president, Father Edward Malloy. (South African anti-apartheid politician) tant director of ------------ the individual," "Their joy, mercy, and simplicity provide a tanta n;1:996t~TiifREiw6/iih ·· retreats and spe- she said. lizing glimpse of what Christ's Church, healed and John Hume cia! projects for '}believe we should L a n e · s reunified. is called to become." (Leader of N. Ireland's Social Democratic &Labour Party) Campus Ministry, all learn and be r e m a r k s Brother Roger is a native of Switzerland. His ''1;1'997( W:ti'iii;'}';t;YW)t~'·· Robert Lane, a focused on the Brother Roger graduate student proficient in standard issues of Ian- see AWARD I page 6 (Founder of ecumenical Taize Community in France) in English, Tia English, but to flatly guage and on Likely, a senior bilingualism. arts and letters deny ebonies is to deny He said that major, David our history, our her- the ebonies Prof shares business lessons Moss, a grad stu- issue was dent in psycholo- itage, culture, and about "frame- By ANN KEARNS years later, Shannon was able to "augment the acade gy, and Erskine image.' works of Saint Mary's Assistant Editor offered a position in the Saint mics with the professional Mary's business department. world." Peters, professor power." Shannon's involvement with Shannon often refers to his ofEnglish. Lane com- College professors exist to Shavers intro- David Moss mented that give students knowledge and Hacienda started several years class as "show-and-tell." skills that they will use upon prior to the beginning of his Because of his position with duced the topic English itself their entrance into "the real Saint Mary's career. In 1978, Hacienda, Shannon has access and explained the history was the language of the peas behind the ebonies controversy. ants of England after the w or I d." he and four other individuals to many tools used in business W iII i am co-founded Hacienda. That that directly benefit his stu She touched on the 30-year his- Norman Conquest and said that, tory of ebonies and the use of "it [language conflict] is always Shannon, year, Shannon also served as dents. He says that these are associate the corporation's president. items with which students ebonies in the Oakland Unified based on authorizing frame professor of Although Shannon has great need to be familiar, such as School District. Shavers then works of power." business responsibilities at both Saint formal business contracts. gave a brief history of the recent As for ebonies in the class administra Mary's and Hacienda, he has This "show-and-tell," he feels, ebonies controversy and the room, Lane said that instructing tion and eco no difficulty in balancing the enables students to apply the media coverage. teachers to be sensitive to ebon- nomies at two professions. Instead, he knowledge they have gained "We're here to talk about ics helped children make the Saint Mary's, Shannon believes that they compliment from the textbook. what that [controversy] implies transition from ebonies to stan combines his one another. "I am able to "Hacienda helps me do all - what it implies for history, dard English and "when it experience as an entrepreneur bring realities of the profes this," Shannon claimed. what it implies for culture, what comes to teaching, it's all about with his classroom lessons. sional world to the classroom," Students agree that it implies for class, what it Shannon has been a mem Shannon said. Shannon's professional experi implies for race," Shavers said. see EBONICS I p~ge 4 ber of the Saint Mary's com Shannon continued to say ence has enhanced his teach munity since January of 1983 that being a part of Hacienda ing ability. and is also senior chairman of has positively affected his Fanny Gonzalez, senior Hacienda Mexican teaching because it has given international business and Restaurants. him the opportunity to be asso economics major, believes that Shannon became interested ciated with other organizations Shannon's international busi in teaching marketing so that in the community. He has ness class has given her a he could stay up to speed with been able to serve on many "real business perspective." new developments in the field. boards and meet with people Gonzalez said, "It's not just a His first position was at who have varying background textbook; it's applied busi Roosevelt University in and ideas. ness." Chicago as an adjunct profes Shannon brings these ideas sor in marketing. Several back to the classroom. He is see FEATURE I page 6 ~------ -~-~------------ page 2 The Observer • INSIDE Wednesday, February 12, 1997 • WORU3 Al A GlAMCE Fans might want to cry for Madonna Vote BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Lies" joining "The English Patient." Madonna said she wanted him, TriStar's "Jerry Maguire" was the sole even deserved him. But the star big-studio, big-grossing nominee. OK, you've heard this all won't be snuggling up with Oscar "There's two businesses in before, but apparently 59 after all.