On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Poly Upper School History Department hosted an event as part of the Heinz-Ethics Speaker Series, featuring Erwin Chemerinsky, one of the country’s leading legal scholars, particularly in constitutional law and civil procedure. Having argued numerous First Amendment cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, Chemerinsky is also the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law. Faculty, parents and students were eager to welcome Chemerinsky back after his first speech at Poly two years ago.
“I felt that Erwin’s down-to-earth messages would inform us about America’s democratic challenges, a very relevant current topic,” said Upper School History Department Chair and AP United States History teacher Kristen Osborne-Bartucca, who invited Chemerinsky back to campus.
The Heinz Ethics Speaker Series is named in honor of Poly alum Clifford S. Heinz ‘34, whose generous donation supports bringing influential speakers to campus to discuss ethical issues tied to subjects relevant to Poly’s mission and vision. “Mr. Melgoza conceived of this as an evening series that would bring in more than just students,” explained Osborne-Bartucca, “Parents are really integral parts of the community, but unless there are weekend events, there’s rarely anything for them to attend on the weekday.”
Chemerinsky’s speech focused on the challenges to democracy in the United States today. He discussed the presidential voting process, highlighting the imbalance between the electoral college and the popular vote, and how this system diminishes the power of the people. He also addressed the role of the Supreme Court in safeguarding democracy, proposing that justices serve eighteen-year terms to better align with the evolving political landscape. “It was interesting to see connections with what we are learning in APUSH and learn more about the foundations of American government and how we may not have been as democratic as we wish to be,” said junior Matteo Mazzie. “Furthermore, the development of the two-party system isn’t as unprecedented as we think because it comes from a long history, and the founders of our country predicted this would happen.”
The event highlighted the importance of the people, including students, in engaging with ethical discourse to address the challenges that face democracy today.
“He asked the question of how democracy can exist without trust. The question left me thinking about what it means to have a democracy, like free speech and the freedom to express oneself,” shared senior Annabelle Chan.
