Monroe County teens explore First Amendment

The American public has a brand new superhero, and his name is "Captain First Amendment Man." His mission? To preserve the unalienable rights put forth by the U.S. Constitution and to educate everyone on how to actively know and use them. Although he's only been in existence for a few months now, the four-inch, flag-clad action figure has already wowed educators and lawmakers alike, from Washington, D.C. to Bloomington.\nCaptain First Amendment Man is the brainchild of 12 creative teens from Harmony, Bloomington North, and Bloomington South high schools. He stars in a video that was created from a challenge put forth by representatives of the First Amendment Center, a program in Washington, D.C. that works to protect and preserve First Amendment freedoms. During a visit last spring, center officials urged the students to come up with a short video to illustrate First Amendment rights and principles.\nAlthough Captain First Amendment Man's moments on screen last for just five minutes -- the total length of the film -- the response to his message and the humor put forth in the film has been validating to all of the creators, their classmates and teachers. \n"The representatives in Washington loved it and were just blown away by what we do here and the program we have," said Brad Wilhelm, the director of Rhino's youth center, an after school media program that works in conjunction with Harmony School.\nThe video itself is a byproduct of Harmony High School's inclusion as one of the initial 11 schools within the United States to be selected as a First Amendment School. By being chosen, Harmony was charged with the mission to be a laboratory of democratic freedom. As a model school, they are expected to vigorously demonstrate through their programs and activities that all members of the school community have the opportunity to practice democracy and uphold their unalienable rights. \nThe Youth Video Program includes students from all three high schools in Bloomington, 12 of whom played key roles in developing the video over a four-month period. Under the leadership of David Walter, the director of the Youth Video Program, the teens brainstormed the script and then filmed and edited the material using Rhino's video equipment. \n "We have a pretty weird sense of humor, but I'm glad some other people share it," said Fiona Martin, a South senior and youth volunteer at Rhino's. \nThe film is unabashedly cheesy and filled with quirky humor, but the wit and low-budget style only adds to its charm. Through a variety of students, action figures, and even a "bearded punk" to help demonstrate the significance of some of the Constitution's most important amendments, the point is inevitably driven home. In addition to being a comedic piece, the film emphasizes the importance of the first 10 amendments ratified as the Bill of Rights. \n As Captain First Amendment Man himself concludes, "First Amendment rights are for strong arms, for school marms, for rockers, for gawkers, for flappers, and for trappers. For those who love guns, and those who are nuns. In short, First Amendment Rights are for everybody."\n-- Contact staff writer Kelly Phillips at kephilli@indiana.edu.