Centenary’s Constitution Week

Every year, colleges in the United States hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution; this is Centenary’s.

As mandated by the U.S., every college and university that receives federal funding is required to hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution every year. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day commemorates the September 17, 1787 signing of the United States Constitution. 

This year, Centenary added—on top of our annual book display—a week-long celebration encouraging students and staff to drop by and participate when they can. We collaborated with Rosanna Richardson, a student who runs the weekly Creative Persuasion Crafting Club. The idea was to Craft the Constitution by picking an amendment and collaging what it means to you. For example, I picked the 19th Amendment (women’s suffrage).

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day, so Amy Hayes collected useful links so students can easily check their voter registration status, find out where to register, learn how to vote, and get information on early voting locations. Wednesday, we encouraged students and staff to create the 28th amendment and posted a debate question on our whiteboard to encourage civic engagement. Thursday was Constitution Day proper and we offered word searches, coloring pages, and academic materials for them to peruse through.

Out of all the activities during the week, students responded strongly to the whiteboard debate question and enjoyed the handouts provided this year. 

The most surprising thing learned this year was the lack of civic engagement due to busy schedules or disinterest. Encouraging students to participate in civic engagement and their rights as U.S. citizens should be a priority to us as educators and university associates. Perhaps next year with the help of professors, staff, and community members, we can get the students excited!