Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:11:35 -0800 http://www.svsar.org/ Silicon Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution en-us http://www.svsar.org/images/wmprod-svsar.jpg http://www.svsar.org/ admin@svsar.org http://www.svsar.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1 On February 18, 2006 Richard Knock, a member of the Scholarship Committee, presented Kristen Briggs "The George S. & Stella Knight Essay Contest" Certificate. Kristen Briggs gave a reading of the winning essay. Charles A. Smart, Chapter President, awarded her the Bronze Good Citizenship Medal Certificate and Bronze Medal. This contest was originally named in honor of SAR Compatriot President Calvin Coolidge who won an SAR essay contest while a student at Amherst. The contest was reestablished in 1988 by Compatriot McCarthy DeMere. In 1995, the contest was renamed the George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest in honor of their generous gift to the SAR to support this contest. The contest is designed to give high school students an opportunity to explore events that shaped American History. The United States Supreme Court as Defined by the Constitution: Its Impact Today by Kristen Briggs Presentation High School “Alexander Hamilton, writing in the No. 78 of the Federalist Papers, described the Supreme Court of the United States as the ‘least dangerous’ of the three branches of the federal government.” This judicial branch, the Founding Fathers believed, would not be influenced by politics or the extreme emotions of the people, and thus could better provide checks and balances on the President of the U.S. and two houses of Congress. Kenneth W. Starr nevertheless describes the Court as the “first among equals, the branch of government with the authoritative role in vital issues that deeply affect American life.” However, throughout history, the presidents have tried to “pack the Courts” by nominating justices who would best support their political philosophies in their case decisions. Despite previous political leanings of its judges, the Supreme Court, with the foundation set forth in the Constitution as well as its more recent history, clearly has the power to maintain its presupposed impartiality and to continue to make decisions that define our country’s greatness. Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:11:35 -0800