STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Seven Tarleton State University Honors College students and Assistant Professor Dr. Karl Aho traveled to Waco recently for a conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at McLennan Community College.
Kavanaugh spoke to a crowd of about 2,500 as a featured guest of MCC’s Ken Starr Lecture Series. The event was moderated by MCC history professor and chair of the social and behavioral sciences division Ashley Cruseturner.
One of Tarleton State’s attendees was junior elementary education major Anna Rasberry from Comanche.
“Personally, I have been fascinated with politics and how the governmental system functions for the last several years,” she said. “This was an exceedingly special event to learn about the intricacies of the Supreme Court, how the judiciary branch views its role and what being a Supreme Court Justice looks like through the eyes of a family man.”
Tarleton State junior Alea Rogers, an English major from Weatherford, was impressed with Kavanaugh’s explanation of the importance of the Supreme Court’s place in government.
“He pointed out that justices don’t have to be reelected. They are justices until they die or get impeached,” she said. “Therefore, they don’t have to garner the public’s attention; they can stand for what they believe is right. This element of the judicial branch of government is crucial. It ensures that the Supreme Court justices are voting for what they believe is in alignment with the Constitution and precedents from previous cases.”
At one point in the evening, the 60-year-old Kavanaugh held up a worn copy of the U.S. Constitution he carries in his pocket and alluded to the court’s role as that of an umpire. He admitted the court’s decisions are met with criticism, but he said that comes with the territory.
“How many times have you left a game and said, ‘Well, our team lost, but didn’t those umpires do a great job?”
Rasberry said Kavanaugh’s appearance and a small group meeting with him were eye-openers for her.
“I walked away from the event with a significantly increased comprehension of how the members of the third branch of our government perform in and outside their occupation.”
