On October 19 Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA), and the LeMieux Center for Public Policy hosted its annual Freidheim Fellows presentation—giving two seniors the opportunity to present their research to the PBA community.
This year’s fellows were Logan Weyforth and Alexis Solomon. After a semester conducting in-depth research and writing under the advisement of a faculty member, they presented their solutions-based research on digital privacy concerns and the protection of unborn children.
Logan Weyforth: New Technology Deserves New Privacy Regulations
Originally from Pennsylvania, Weyforth is a politics major with a minor in pre-law. He is the co-captain of PBA’s Mock Trial Team and will take the LSAT in November, with plans to attend law school after graduation this spring.
His presentation focused on Palantir Technologies Inc., a company that entangled itself with the U.S. government, military, and law enforcement. After seeing the founders’ concerning statements on social media about technology’s purpose and role in democracy, Weyforth was prompted to explore the close relationship between Palantir and all levels of government—and question whether citizens’ Fourth Amendment right to privacy was being compromised.
“I really enjoyed my constitutional law class, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to apply what I was learning in the classroom to an issue I was researching,” said Weyforth.
Working with his faculty advisor Dr. Linda Raeder, Weyforth discovered that Palantir’s data storage and tracking technology for law enforcement directly contradicted the precedent of four of the Supreme Court’s Fourth Amendment landmark cases.
Weyforth proposed that new legislation around Palantir would mitigate the government’s ability to bypass privacy protections under the Fourth Amendment. The legislation would also enforce stricter protocols on how and when the technology is used.
“Rather than simply allowing older generations to determine what that future looks like, we have the opportunity, and I believe the responsibility, to educate ourselves, participate in the political process, and have a meaningful role in deciding what comes next,” said Weyforth.
Alexis Solomon: Preventing Discrimination of the Unborn
Solomon is from Florida and is studying apologetics and English. She is also a member of the Frederick M. Supper Honors Program and PBA Lead Program. After graduation, she plans to work in advocacy, focusing on faith integration in public policy.
Her presentation addressed preventing discrimination against unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome. Originally, she and her faculty advisor, Dr. James Todd, set out to find any state legislation in the country that would prevent abortions solely based on a child’s Down syndrome diagnosis. However, Solomon discovered there was no state legislation that adequately addressed the issue and led to an increase in live births of children diagnosed with down syndrome. This led to Solomon shifting focus from anti-abortion to anti-discrimination of unborn children.
“With the normalization of what I find to be a serious failure on the national level to protect the most vulnerable citizens’ rights to life, I believe it is of the utmost importance to advocate for policy change,” said Solomon.
Solomon believes any bill focusing too heavily on anti-abortion will not have a viable chance to pass at the federal level. By shifting the focus to reach a bipartisan agreement on preventing ableism, she believes a new bill could help save lives. It would also include increased efforts to educate mothers about the resources available to children with disabilities, helping reduce the number of abortions of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome.
“When you have an understanding of what is going on in the world, you will be equipped to recognize when God opens a door for you to make a difference,” said Solomon.
Each year, the Freidheim Fellowship gives two upperclassmen the opportunity to dive into a civic or public policy issue that interests them. This prestigious program is named after philanthropists Marguerite “Mitzi” and her husband, Cyrus Freidheim, whose charitable efforts make education more accessible for the next generation.
Click here to learn more about the Freidheim Fellows Program.
