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Students got a unique perspective on their curriculum with a special guest lecture from Congresswoman Virginia Foxx on Tuesday at the 1924 Courthouse in Newton.

Foxx, who represents North Carolina’s Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke to two history and government classes from Catawba Valley Community College and answered a wide range of student and faculty questions following the lecture.

Foxx has a vested interest in college education, as she serves as the Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and also held several administrative positions at Appalachian State University.

Richard Eller, a professor of history at CVCC, said having Foxx talk to the students was a perfect fit.

“She is a perfect example of someone with a varied experience,” Eller said. “What they’re doing matters very much to her.”

Eller added the Foxx’s lecture had the ability to touch on both government and history. This coexistence, he said, is very important.

“I want (them) to understand the importance of government in our nation’s history,” Eller said.

Foxx opened her lecture by warning students that forgetting history is a very dangerous prospect.

“I think unfortunately we are losing that knowledge of history in our country and that puts us at risk,” Foxx said. “We can lose our country if we lose our knowledge of history.”

Foxx’s lecture branched out to various topics including opportunity in the United States, how attitudes toward policy are shaped and the importance of the Constitution.

Pulling out her pocket-sized copy of the Constitution, Foxx read several sections to the students and warned of the possibility of overbearing government.

“I’m very much a believer in federalism,” Foxx said. “One of our main problems in our government is that we have government doing way too much. Nothing about the Constitution is accidental.”

After lecturing for approximately 45 minutes, Foxx opened up the floor for questions.

Student questions covered a wide variety of topics from her experience as a woman in public office, her thoughts on immigration and how many bills she has historically voted for and against.

Some students gathered after the lecture to meet Foxx personally and ask more questions, but the message Foxx left them with was an encouraging one that told them to chase the opportunities available to them.

“You live in the greatest country in the world,” Foxx said. “You do not have to come from privilege to reach high office in the U.S. There are opportunities out there for people who want to work hard. I believe that with all of my heart.”

http://www.hickoryrecord.com/news/congresswoman-foxx-visits-newton-speaks-to-students/article_c6dc4c1c-9333-11e5-b41f-df4efa1a88c2.html