University News

Constitution Day Sept. 16 at WIU

September 12, 2019

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MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University will celebrate U.S. Constitution Day Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 16-17 in the Malpass Library. This year's theme is "Separation of Powers with Checks and Balances."

Constitution Day celebrates the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution in 1787.

"Constitution Day was created in 2004, by the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia," said WIU Departments of Political Science and History Interim Chair Keith Boeckelman. "Recognizing the relationship of the Constitution to citizenship, Byrd's law required any publicly funded educational institution to present programming related to the Constitution on or around Sept. 17. Western has consistently met this requirement with speakers, poster sessions and other activities. This year's program, focusing on the Constitution, Immigration and Citizenship, is no exception."

This year's event includes:

Monday, Sept. 16:

• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Poster Session – Malpass Library Garden Lounge (second floor): There will be 70 posters with Constitutional themes.

• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Presentation of Cases and Justices – Malpass Library Garden Lounge (second floor): WIU students.

• Noon-1 p.m. - Panel Discussion – Malpass Library Garden Lounge (second floor): Panelists will include Boeckelman; Attorney and Political Science Instructor Victoria Smith; Military Science Chair Joan Sommers; and Dean Rick Hardy, of WIU's Centennial Honors College.

Tuesday Sept. 17:

10 a.m.-noon - Student posters will be on display in the Garden Lounge and University Television will broadcast the event throughout the day.

The event, open free to the public, is sponsored by WIU's Centennial Honors College, University Libraries and the WIU departments of political science and history.

For more information, contact Hardy at (309) 298-2228 or email RJ-Hardy@wiu.edu.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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