University News
Constitution Day
September 18, 2006
MACOMB, IL – Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: “We The People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this, Constitution for the United States of America.”
The 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention held their final meeting 219 years ago. Only one item of business occupied the agenda that day: to sign the Constitution of the United States of America. To celebrate the Sept. 17 signing of the U.S. Constitution, Monday, Sept. 18 will mark the annual Constitution Day set forth by the United States government. To mark the momentous occasion in history, Western Illinois University will host a variety of activities beginning Monday, Sept. 18.
According to Ginny Boynton, history professor and co-chair of WesternÂ’s American Democracy Project (ADP) and Keith Boeckelman, political science professor and ADP co-chair, the week-long celebration will begin with panel discussion Sept. 18 and a Constitution display on the fourth floor of the Leslie F. Malpass Library, including a poster replica set of the Constitution and a painting of the signers of the document.
The panel discussion will be held from 3-5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18 in the University Television broadcast studio, Memorial Hall fourth floor. The discussion will be broadcast live to Macomb-area audiences via Macomb Cable Channel 3, and will be streamed live to the Quad Cities and on the web. Panelists include Aimee Shouse, political science; Boeckelman; Nancy Kwang Johnson, African American studies; Rick Hardy, political science chair. Each panelist will address a particular issue or issues regarding constitutional development, followed by questions from the audience. WIU Provost and Academic Vice President Joe Rallo will serve as moderator.
“Western's participation in the American Democracy Project represents a recognition and commitment to making WIU's graduates better informed and more engaged as citizens,” Boynton said.
In addition, library staff have gathered a bibliography of Constitution resources that are in the libraryÂ’s collection, and a website (www.wiu.edu/library/govpubs/guides/constitution.htm) will be developed by library staff with a listing of Constitution-related sites. The WIU website will include commentary by WesternÂ’s faculty on recent Supreme Court decisions on constitutional-related issues.
“Knowing more about the Constitution and how it has been interpreted by the Supreme Court is of great value in their better understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and of the powers and limits of their government,” Boeckelman added.
The following Western Illinois faculty will provide commentary on WesternÂ’s website (www.wiu.edu) on various constitutional related issues:
Peter Cole, Sept. 18 – “Hamdan v. Rumsfield”
Greg Hall, Sept. 19 – “Rapanos v. United States” (clean water act).
Keith Boeckelman, Sept. 20 – “Kansas v. Marsh” (death penalty)
Virginia Boynton, Sept. 21 – “Constitution Day: Must Evidence From an Illegal Search Be Excluded From Trial?”
Keith Boeckelman, Sept. 22 – “Kansas v. Marsh” “League of Latin American Citizens v. Perry”
For more information on Constitution Day, contact Boynton at 309/298-1057 or Boeckleman at 309/298- or visit the following websites:
www.justicelearning.org/constitutionday
www.house.gov/skelton/col060910.htm
www.constitutioncenter.org
www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/constitutionwww.findlaw.com www.billofrightsinstitute.org
www.civiced.org or
www.constitutionproject.org.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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