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AJCU Institutions Celebrate Constitution Day on September 17, 2009

September 18, 2009

Deanna Howes, AJCU Manager of Information Services
dhowes@ajcunet.edu

On Thursday, September 17th, Jesuit colleges and universities across the United States marked Constitution Day with lectures, convocations and discussions.  In 2005, Congress established Constitution Day -- which commemorates the day the U.S. Constitution was signed, September 17, 1787 -- in response to the legislative efforts of Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV).

Canisius College’s closed-circuit television network broadcast a PowerPoint presentation with a series of 44 questions and answers about the Constitution across campus.  Earlier in the week, the Canisius College Frank G. Raichle Lecture Series hosted Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James M. McPherson, PhD, who gave a lecture, entitled “Stretching the Constitution: Lincoln as Commander in Chief.”

The College of the Holy Cross hosted a lecture by R. Shep Melnick, the Thomas P. ONeill, Jr. Professor of American Politics at Boston College, entitled “Does the Constitution Encourage Gridlock?”  The following week, on September 23rd, the college will host MSNBC’s Chris Matthews for a talk and meet-and-greet session.

Throughout Constitution Day, Creighton University students, faculty and staff received free pocket copies of the United States Constitution, courtesy of the office of the vice president of Academic Affairs.

Fairfield University screened two videos, “The United States Constitution” and “The Bill of Rights,” to students, faculty and staff at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library.  Fairfield faculty were encouraged to discuss issues related to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in their classes.

Gonzaga University hosted its fifth annual Constitution Day Lecture on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 with Vikas Gumbhir, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice.  His lecture was titled: “Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Beyond: American Policing and the Problem of Institutional Racism.”

Le Moyne College hosted a talk by political science professor Susan Behuniak titled, “The 1788 Debate Over the Proposed U.S. Constitution: How Would You Have Voted and Why This Matters Today.”

Loyola Marymount University hosted a convocation led by the chair of the Department of Political Science, Evan Gerstmann, and the chair of the Department of History, John Grever.  Loyola Law School professor of law, David Glazier, gave a talk, “The Constitution and the War on Terror,” which was followed by a discussion facilitated by Cara Anzilotti, associate professor of history.  Learn more about the event by clicking here.

On Tuesday, Sept. 15th, Loyola University Chicago hosted a panel discussion on the future of newspapers, "Do Newspapers Matter," hosted by Phil Ponce, Chicago Tonight anchor and Distinguished Professional in Residence in Loyola's School of Communication.  Don Hayner, editor-in-chief of the Chicago Sun-Times, Eric Zorn, columnist for the Chicago Tribune, Steve Rhodes, publisher and editor of the Beachwood Reporter, and Geoff Dougherty, editor and CEO of the Chi-Town Daily News also participated in the event.  On Wednesday, Sept. 16th, U.S. Navy Seal Michael Thornton received a prestigious military commendation, the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Throughout the fall semester, Loyola’s Department of Political Science will offer 8 courses that shed light on the U.S. Constitution, including Constitutional Law.  Of note, Loyola's University Library is a Congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents, which can be accessed here.

The Loyola University New Orleans campus featured informational displays, giveaways and programming to commemorate Constitution Day.  The campus TV network broadcast facts about the U.S. Constitution all day at the Danna Student Center’s and the front of the J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe library featured a prominent display of materials related to the Constitution. Elsewhere on campus, the society for Civic Engagement hosted a group discussion on Constitution Day.  The university’s Office of Financial Aid website currently features background information on the holiday’s origins.

The Marquette University Law School hosted a program called, “The Overlooked Constitution,” with four panelists discussing different articles of the Constitution: Dr. Stephen Engel, assistant professor of political science; Ed Fallone, associate professor of law; Nora O’Callaghan, visiting associate professor of law; and Stephen Vladeck, professor of law at American University Law School.

Regis University’s home page currently features educational information on the constitution and its importance to the American way of life.  The university’s student radio station, KRCX, aired regular public service announcements on Constitution Day; additionally, all station DJs read excerpts from the constitution live on air.  Student Democrat and Republican Clubs collaborated to promote the day and educate the student population, while individual faculty incorporated lessons about Constitution Day into their individual classes.

Spring Hill College competed against the University of Mobile to test U.S. Constitution knowledge in a “Jeopardy” match on the Spring Hill campus.  Assistant professor of history and political science, Dr. Tom Hoffman, of Spring Hill served as the quizmaster.

University of Detroit Mercy currently features links to speeches related to Constitution Day on its library website.  Additionally, the campus library lobby and reference area currently displays Constitutional materials.

University of San Francisco law professors John Adler, Julie Nice and Maria Ontiveros led a discussion for the campus community, entitled: “The Supreme Court Selection Process and Justice Sotomayor.”

Wheeling Jesuit University marked Constitution Day with a program featuring a talk by U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey, who discussed the role of the judiciary in the Constitution.  Internationally-known actress, singer and storyteller, Ilene Evans, followed Bailey’s presentation with a multimedia presentation, entitled, The Constitutional Virtual Field Trip.  At the conclusion of the program, audience members played, “Who Wants to Be A Million Dollar Citizen.”

The Institute for Politics and Public Life at Xavier University hosted Institute director Michael Ford, who addressed the challenges in ratifying the Constitution, and Xavier assistant professor of political science, Mack Mariani, who moderated a student panel discussion on the relevance of the Constitution today.