Story by Allison Boggan, Staff writer
Graphic courtesy of Flickr
Students from Murray State and the surrounding area schools filled the Curris Center on Monday, Sept. 17, for a day filled with Constitution Day presentations.
The event was open to the public. Many local high school and private schools were invited attend the lectures, and Murray State students attended with their own classes or stopping in just to learn and become more aware.
The day began at 8:30 a.m. with five 50-minute lectures scheduled back-to-back throughout the day, with a break from 11:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the last presentation in the series from 1:30 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
The lecture series came to Murray in the early 2000s after legislation made it mandatory for schools to recognize Constitution Day on their campuses. While recognition may be mandatory, Murray State professors also enjoy putting together the event because of their passion in the political science fields.
Dr. James Clinger, political science professor, said Constitution Day is celebrated by a number of governmental bodies for a number of years on a voluntary basis.
“Senator Robert Byrd from West Virginia inserted an amendment into a piece of legislation about the funding of education,” Clinger said. “It basically required all educational institutions that are receiving federal funds to, in some way, recognize Constitution Day.”
Clinger said that each presentation was lead by a Murray State professor featuring a range of topics from constitutional controversies about the census, a Trump administration travel ban by the Supreme Court and even a fun game of constitutional Jeopardy to keep students personally engaged.
Cameron Wasem, freshman from Barrington, Illinois, said he attended because he is very interested in the Constitution.
“It is an important document to our nation and everyone should learn as much as they can about it,” Wasem said. “I also learned a lot about the Census from the presentation I attended. I would definitely go back again next year to hear more lectures,”
The event also provided a convenient space for students to register to vote. Outside of the theater, tables were set up by Jennifer Morrison, assistant professor of public administration
Morrison said that several people had already signed up in just an hour at one table, with another on the second floor of the Curris Center yet to be counted – which is more than they had gotten in any previous year.
Constitution Day educated the community on the nation’s most important documents. Whether your major involves the political sciences or you just want to become more aware, then be sure to check out next year’s Constitution Day celebrated every Sept. 17.