THE PENDULUM
Volume 32, Issue 5 September 21, 2006 www.elon.edu/pendulum
Elon University's Weekly Student Publication
Mf it matters to vou. it matters to The Pendulum.
^Build bridges for the future’
FEATURES
See what's hot for
fall fashion.
Brittany Smith
Managing Editor
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor briefly reminded
Elon University students, faculty and staff
members to build metaphorical bridges in
their community at Tuesday’s Fall
Convocation.
Building bridges through careers in pub
lic service allows those building them to
think in the present and future so genera
tions to come can cross the bridge with
more ease and insight.
“Hopes and ideas are vindicated and well
adapted through public service,” O’Connor
said. “You can focus your energies on find
ing solutions and what’s right to remedy
instead of what’s wrong.”
She cited Justice John Harlan’s decision
in the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson as an
example of a man who laid the groundwork
for a bridge that would later overturn the
racial policy of “separate but equal” in the
Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954.
“Harlan’s dissent inspired the highest
calling among others who struggled for
racial equality,” she said.
ENTERTAINMENT
p. 19
Alumna’s “American Idol”
documentary premieres
Wednesday.
Even though Justice Harlan did not live
to see his bridge complete, the effects of his
groundwork are still seen today through
racial diversity in schools. O’Connor
encouraged students to lay their own foun
dations in public service, despite the chal
lenges they might face.
“With every step in the area of public
service is doing something right for a good
reason,” she said. “It’s more interesting and
challenging and the encouragement and
guidance you receive is genuine.”
O’Connor also thinks that the nation
needs more people to build bridges in com
munities through public service.
“Our nation needs hardworking, innova
tive people to operate and improve our
nation,” she said.
O’Connor’s quick jokes at the beginning
and her insight of a life of public service is
what made her speech applicable to her
audience.
“Her ability to relate to all students and
not just the law students made it easy to
relate to and a pleasure to listen to,” fresh-
man Austin Buckley said.
Contact Brittany Smith at
pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
SPORTS
p. 21
Cross country pre
pares for its third race
of the season.