Learn about U.S. Constitution at September 19 talk
September 9, 2005
KOKOMO, Ind.—With the lofty aims of establishing and protecting a young country's unity, common defense, and liberty, the 55 drafters of the Constitution of the United States signed their creation on September 17, 1787.
Indiana University Kokomo will celebrate the 218th anniversary of the signing on Monday, September 19, with an educational program about the Constitution. Admission is free to the 7 p.m. presentation in Kresge Auditorium. All those attending will receive free pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution.
Jacqueline Ayers will address how the Constitution continues to define civil liberties and responsibilities in our country today. The associate director of the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, Ayers handles governmental affairs, public education, and special development projects for the organization.
From September 12–16, students in the IU Kokomo History and Political Science Club will be distributing free pocket Constitutions on campus. The IU Kokomo Library has put together a lobby display and an electronic list of library resources on the U.S. Constitution. Go to http://www.iuk.edu/library/docs/ConstitutionBibliography.pdf to download the list.
Although Constitution Day has been recognized in the United States for the past eight years, 2005 marks the first national observance of the day, said Aimee Ash, coordinator of programming and applied learning at IU Kokomo. Ash explained that, in 2004, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia inserted language into a Congressional budget bill, mandating that any educational institution receiving federal funds to celebrate Constitution Day by offering an educational program, on or around the holiday. “Byrd said repeatedly that he feels discouraged by the ignorance of many Americans when it came to the history of the country,” Ash said.
“Research has shown his beliefs are correct. A 2004 survey of high school students by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation found that nearly 75 percent expressed little appreciation for the First Amendment. The survey found that they are less likely than adults to think that people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions or newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories.” A more recent American Bar Association poll showed that just over half of all Americans could identify the three branches of government—the judicial, legislative, and executive branches, Ash added.
The Constitution Day presentation is part of the campus' American Democracy Project (ADP). A national initiative involving 200 campuses, including IU Kokomo, ADP offers academic and student life programs that explore civic activities vital to the life of a democracy—voting, volunteerism, and advocacy of social issues. ADP activities will take place at IU Kokomo through spring 2006. Visit http://www.iuk.edu/adp to see a schedule of events.
Persons without campus parking passes should follow signs to visitor parking for this event.
