Washington, DC - Jesuit colleges and universities will be celebrating the anniversary of our Constitution by planning events on or around September 17, the date the U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787. "Constitution Day" became a law in 2005, when Congress mandated that all schools receiving federal monies must "hold an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year."
At U.S. Jesuit institutions, the Constitution is being celebrated in many different ways, from lectures and panel discussions to technology-oriented information sharing and visits by dignitaries, such as U.S Senator Robert Byrd.
At Seattle University, the Law School will host a discussion between Professors Bryan Adamson and Jim Bond on the following question: "Must we take race into account in order to get beyond race?" The question arises out of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision striking down Seattle's "race-as-tiebreaker" method of pupil assignment.
As part of Fordham Law's celebration of the Constitution, Dean William Michael Treanor will give a talk on "The Constitution and Original Intent."
At Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY, a talk will be given by History Professor Robert Scully, S.J., titled, "Church & State in the U.S. Constitution: How Permeable Is the Wall of Separation?"
Sheri Engelken, a former partner at the law firm of Kirkland and Ellis and currently assistant professor for the Gonzaga University School of Law, will address the topic, "Civil Liberties and the War on Terror," on Sept. 18th. Engelken will discuss the privacy interests and liberties the U.S. Constitution grants citizens, and arguments for and against the government's power to limit those rights in its war on terror.
The Federalist Society at Loyola University Chicago will host a debate and discussion on the future of Affirmative Action following recent decisions by the United States Supreme Court. The featured participants will be Center for Equal Opportunity President and General Counsel Roger Clegg and Loyola University Chicago School of Law's Professor Alan Raphael.
The College of the Holy Cross' Political Science Department will be distributing 700 copies of the Declaration of Independence bound together with the Constitution. They will be handed out in the Hogan Campus Center, Rehm Library, Principles of American Government class, and American History class. The College will also be hanging up posters that commemorate Constitution Day.
The Spring Hill College Department of Political Science will host a roundtable on constitutions (of the U.S. and the Alabama) on Constitution Day. Alabama District Judge Robert Smith and a representative of Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform have been invited to speak and answer questions.
Canisius College will host a public forum that is part of a nationwide initiative to promote increased understanding of the courts and the protection of civil rights. The Honorable Jeremiah J. McCarthy, a federal magistrate of the Western District of New York, will serve as keynote speaker for the event, and give a speech entitled, "The Independence of the Judiciary." Judge McCarthy's speech will be followed by a panel discussion entitled "Civil Liberties in the 21st Century." Panelists will include Robert A. Klump, adjunct professor of political science at Canisius College; Lee Coppola, dean of the St. Bonaventure School of Journalism; and William H. Gardner, a retired senior member of the Commercial Litigation-Collections Practice Group at the Buffalo law firm of Hodgson Russ. Jim Ranney, news director for WNED-AM radio, will serve as the moderator of the panel discussion.
The Political Science Department at Loyola Marymount University is holding a Constitution Day Convocation event on September 18th to discuss the topic "Is Torture Ever Justified? The Constitutional and Political Arguments against Torture." The event has been organized by Even Gerstmann Ph.D., chair of the Political Science Department and will feature Marcy Strauss J.D. from Loyola Law School. The discussion facilitator will be Cara Anzilotti Ph.D from the History Department.
The University of San Francisco's (USF) 2007 Constitution Day Event on September 17th will feature a discussion among students, faculty and all interested members of the USF Community on the "Contemporary Relevance of the Constitution on Our Lives." Constitutional Law Professors Maya Manian and John Adler will moderate. Community member comments and stories about how the rights protected by the Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion and association, due process and anti-discrimination rights, privacy rights, reproductive rights, etc., continue to affect the lives of Americans in positive ways will be an integral component of the program.
At Marquette Law School on Monday, September 17, a short program of talks on various aspects of the Constitution will be given by four faculty members: Professors David Papke ("The Constitution as an Icon of American Life"), Ed Fallone ("Borders and the War on Terror"), Scott Idleman ("American Indians and the Constitution"), and Rick Esenberg ("Speech Rights After Wisconsin Right to Life and Morse").
The University of Detroit Mercy Libraries will post links related to the Constitution on its research portal. Links will take visitors to government sources, news and the Constitution, including some streaming audio and video.
U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) will visit Wheeling Jesuit University on Tuesday, Sept. 18, and speak to students about the importance of the central instrument of American government.
"The Constitution is both the foundation and the guardian of our liberties. It must be studied with the knowledge that as strong and enduring as our Constitution has been, it is nevertheless a fragile, almost intangible thing that cannot survive without the dedication and constant support of citizens," says Byrd.
