To Chief Justice John Roberts, the First Amendment would have little meaning without an independent judicial branch to give it life.

‘Without an independent judiciary to give substance to the constitutional text as law, the words are nothing but empty promises,’ he said to a crowd of more than 1,000 Wednesday afternoon.

Faculty, staff, alumni, donors and students filled Hendricks Chapel to the brim to hear Roberts speak in honor of the third building of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications complex. Those who could not get tickets watched via live screenings across campus.

Newhouse Dean David Rubin and Samuel I. Newhouse Jr. introduced Roberts to the crowd, which contained such notable visitors as former Chancellor Kenneth ‘Buzz’ Shaw, sportscaster Mike Tirico, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, Chancellor Nancy Cantor and her Cabinet.

The focus of the Newhouse III celebration has been looking to the future. But the focus of Roberts’ speech was on the past.

He spent most of his address discussing the Constitution and the founder’s intentions with the First Amendment as well as quoting past Supreme Court justices.

‘The framers of the First Amendment knew the importance of the free press based on the painful experience of living without one,’ he said.

Roberts’ most forceful remarks, however, were made outside of Hendricks.

During the dedication ceremony in front of Newhouse III, Roberts focused his attention to the many students now in the large audience gathered around the plaza.

‘The greatest threat to the rights you see spelled out in front of us is irresponsible use of them,’ he said. ‘My message to you is very simple: Don’t blow it.’

Throughout his Hendricks speech, Roberts emphasized his belief that a judiciary is needed to uphold the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

‘Do not think for a moment that those words alone will protect you; consider some other grand words,’ he said before reciting similar words from the Soviet Union’s constitution, which he called ‘all lies.’

‘So by all means celebrate the words of the First Amendment,’ he said. ‘But remember also the words of the Soviet constitution.’

While his speech was often serious, the chief justice also spoke in a lighthearted, conversational style. His several jokes often had the whole audience laughing.

‘I feel like his speech was very down to earth,’ said Mark LaFrance, a senior public relations major, who received a ticket as a Newhouse peer adviser. ‘It shows he is really a normal guy.’

Roberts stressed the First Amendment’s role in protecting unpopular speech.

‘We don’t need the First Amendment to protect speech that is trendy, conventional, popular or politically correct,’ he said. ‘The First Amendment assures the voice of the real nonconformist, the underdog, the unfashionable, also will be heard. The framers knew that we needed to protect unpopular ideas, which is particularly keen in the area of political debate.’

The Supreme Court’s insulation from public opinion through life tenure and secure pay has allowed its justices the freedom to make unpopular decisions, Roberts said.

‘The courts have responded, often in the face of contrary public opinion,’ he said. ‘The courts have given the First Amendment’s inspirational words its vitality. And many of the decisions doing so protect unpopular speech.’

Newhouse professor Lynne Flocke called Roberts’ speech a ‘rather mild endorsement of the First Amendment,’ but said she was more concerned by Roberts’ statement to the students in front of the new building.

‘It’s important for us to realize that someone’s interpretation of what makes a free press is going to have a lot to do with whether they agree with what’s being said,’ she said. ‘So I think the key here is a free press.’

When introducing Roberts, Rubin spoke of the legacies created during the dedication speeches at Newhouse I and II.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson made his famous ‘Gulf of Tonkin’ address concerning the Vietnam War while dedicating Newhouse I.

During the 1974 dedication of Newhouse II, CBS founder William S. Paley called for the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, which he said infringed on the First Amendment.

Audience members couldn’t help but compare Roberts’ speech to his predecessors.

‘I liked it, but at the same time, me and a few other people thought that after the magnitude of the last two speeches…it seems like it wasn’t as important of a speech. It didn’t accomplish anything,’ said senior LaFrance.

Fellow Newhouse peer adviser Ashley Arena agreed.

‘I thought he made a good speech, and I think the points he made were valid, especially with the whole theme of ‘Year of the First Amendment’ and the emphasis they are putting on it,’ said Arena, a senior advertising major. ‘But it wasn’t as big of a deal as the other two were.’

Third-year law student Manish Pradhan said he greatly enjoyed the speech, which he described as impressive.

Pradhan’s excitement about Roberts’ visit to campus was evident. Pradhan was one of 40 students chosen to meet with Roberts for an intimate question and answer session.

‘We always heard during the confirmation hearings what a brilliant man he is,’ he said. ‘In that hour and a half, it was on full display.’

During his half-hour speech, Roberts commented on the construction and design of Newhouse III as well as why a new building was necessary.

‘The schools facilities are expanding because the field of public communications itself has expanded dramatically since the first building opened in 1964,’ he said.

In his introduction, Dean Rubin also spoke of the changes Newhouse III will bring to campus.

‘Each year at SU is quite different from previous year. Each new class of first year students and grad students changes the culture in subtle ways and brings its own challenges and rewards. Each faculty and staff member adds something to the mix…,’ he said. ‘A new building changes the culture, too. We know what we hope Newhouse III will accomplish for campus, but until it has been open and operational for a couple of years, we won’t really know if it has accomplished its goals.’

Roberts commented on the building’s key feature – the words of the First Amendment inscribed on the building’s exterior.

‘The designers of Newhouse III recognized the constitutional foundation of America’s free press,’ he said. ‘The words cannot be fully appreciated in insulation. Just as each individual component of Newhouse is a part of a whole, the First Amendment is only one part of a whole constitution that sets up the framework for our government. The First Amendment draws upon and gives support to the entire structure.’

Following the speech, Rubin offered support for the central theme of Roberts’ address.

‘If you get attacks on an independent judiciary by Congress, by the president, by the public, the judiciary could no longer do its job,’ Rubin said. Then, the freedoms in the First Amendment ‘become words on a piece of paper, and they could be taken away.’

Published on September 19, 2007 at 12:00 pm