Indianapolis, IN (Summer 2024)
“I think the public should understand that a judge’s decision in the federal court system takes many factors into account. While judges take into account an individual’s criminal history and other misdemeanors, they also look at past trauma and other issues that could cause the individual to perpetuate the cycle of criminal activity.” Shivani Desai, 2024 Hometowns Student
The Indianapolis Hometowns students explored the First Amendment during their program about the Supreme Court case Hess v. Indiana (1973). The case arose following the arrest of Indiana University student Gregory Hess during a Vietnam War protest. After witnessing a live court proceeding and a question and answer session with Chief Judge Pratt, students engaged with Ken Falk (Director, ACLU Indiana) for an in-depth exploration of the First Amendment and its five freedoms. Building on that foundational knowledge, they learned about the Vietnam War from Professor Ray Haberski and toured the Indiana War Memorial with Brigadier General Stewart Goodwin. Vietnam veteran, General Bauerle, addressed students’ questions about the war. Students examined how the war impacted the United States through protest music, historic televised news reports, and newspaper articles.