Future executors of the First Amendment are fighting an uphill battle.

Mark Goodman, Knight professor of scholastic journalism at Kent State University, stressed the importance of high school and college journalists Thursday night during the climax of First Amendment Day at Iowa State.

Though journalists in the corporate world have a seasoned ability to carry out the duties of the press, Goodman made it clear that if current trends aren’t reversed, the future of the First Amendment may fall into uneducated hands.

“It is scary to realize that we are creating a generation of First Amendment illiterates,” Goodman said. “Are we creating a nation of constitutional illiterates? I think we are . but it’s not too late.”

Goodman said high school and college news organizations have the time, resources and drive to accomplish “the kind of investigative reporting that they covet in the corporate world.”

Though almost too fitting to the event’s youth-based theme, students from Davenport Central High School got the night started with musical renditions that showcased their knowledge of the First Amendment.

After concluding the harmonious portion of the evening’s festivities, one of the Davenport Central students took the podium at the Durham Great Hall in the Memorial Union and addressed the audience with an impersonation of George W. Bush. The imitation drew cheers and laughter from the crowd before Amy Klein, senior in journalism and mass communication and president of the Leo Mores Student Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, took the microphone and disclosed her appreciation of “Bush’s” performance.

“I never thought I would say this, but George Bush was awesome,” Klein said.

As Goodman spoke, his history in protecting the legal rights of student publications shone through as he spoke about the role of journalists in not only revealing the actions of governmental bodies, but also in beating back the veil of censorship.

Goodman used instances from academia to show the effects of censorship.

One example involved a male high school student who was reprimanded by school officials for wearing a “John Edwards 2008” T-shirt. After the student was sent home for breaking school policy by wearing text other than that of school clubs or other “approved” organizations, it was found that the same student had already been asked to change for “wearing too much black.”

The faculty member who originally told the student to change reasoned her request by saying the student had too “gothic” an appearance.

The event brought forth by Goodman was a perfect example of the tribulations students go through when officials attempt to flex their censoring muscles, but he said there are still opportunities for students to make the truth rise to the surface.

“Our government has so much potential, but it is up to us to make that potential a reality,” he said. “Ask the hard questions, ask for public records . ask if justifications are legitimate.”