U.S. Constitution celebrated
Experts
weigh in on how document has shaped Americans' views of government
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Joseph Vasquez /
The Collegian
Fresno State's Constitution
Day featured speakers and performers like Marylee McGough, left,
here reciting her poem "Intellectual Disorder." |
By Kristen Hoverman
The Collegian
With the ever-increasing presence
of and services provided by the U.S. government, Americans have come to
expect help in times of crisis.
This was one message given by Fresno State political science professor
Yishaika Abosch Friday during the campus’ first-ever Constitution
Day.
Last Friday, Associated Students handed out more than 500 pocket-sized
copies of the Constitution and approximately 80 students attended the
events on campus for the first ever Constitution Day at Fresno State.
At 10:30 a.m., UC 200 was three quarters full with students and professors
waiting for the hour presentation on “Free Speech in the Digital
Age.” After some minor technical difficulties, the presentation
was changed to “Our Constitution: A Conversation.”
On the half-hour DVD, Supreme Court justices Sandra Day O’Connor
and Stephen G. Breyer answered student questions about the Constitution
and outlined in detail its importance.
Chris Fiorentino, director of Civic Engagement and Service-Learning, was
in charge of the presentation. “When I walk into a room this size
and see it three quarters of the way full I am very happy,” Fiorentino
said. “I think the turnout was outstanding.”
“The difficulty is that it’s cut across two class times and
the technical difficulties that we had created some challenges,”
Fiorentino said. “But the DVD that we were able to show I think
was an excellent resource. It is almost impossible to get justices talking
about contemporary issues on film.”
“I think it is definitely a good thing to do,” history major
Angelique Pearce said. “Graduating high school students usually
don’t study the Constitution after they graduate unless they are
going into Constitution study in college.”
“It’s good to keep up on what’s new,” Pearce said,
“not just what you learned.”
Just before noon, at the Associated Students Information Booth, Kelly
Ansaldo, Associated Students senator for the College of Agricultural Sciences
and Technology, passed out pocket Constitutions to students walking by.
“People seem to think these are bad handouts,” Ansaldo said.
“They’re standoffish about getting them, because they are
important documents, not just fliers.”
“This is something that they don’t necessarily have in their
back pocket,” Ansaldo said. “But it is important. Made for
the people and by the people.”
“I want to make sure they get the information,” Ansaldo said.
“I have passed out 50 already and we have about 500 to pass out.”
At noon in the Peace Garden, the dean of library services, Michael Gorman,
political science professors Yishaiya Abosch and David Schecter and Executive
Vice President of Associated Students Juan Pablo Moncayo, a senior pre-law
student, gave speeches sharing their views on the importance of the U.S.
Constitution while students passed by.
“Nobody really knows much about the Constitution anymore. And who
really cares? I personally do, but in the general population, do people
really care?” history major Ashley Fairburn said. “Our most
basic rights are founded upon it, and a lot of people just go about their
day.”
Organizers estimated that 80 students walked by during the event.
“It’s always going to be a problem getting students to attend,”
Abosch said, “This is appropriate. The Constitution is an organic
document of our country. The assumption in a democracy is that members
know what their rights are.”
“In an era of big government, a government that provides ever more
services and offers ever more security to individuals, it’s become
almost natural for Americans to ask, when disaster strikes, ‘where
is my government?’” Abosch said. “Perhaps on this day
of honoring a constitution 216 years young we should ask ourselves not
where is my government but where am I?”
After the speeches there was a brief question and answer session. During
this session, Marylee McGough, a coordinator for the Poetry Jam at Fresno
State, recited her poem “Intellectual Disorder” following
the theme of Constitution Day.
Director of Student Affairs Carolyn Coon was pleased with the outcome
of the events.
“I just think it went really well,” Coon said. “Really
what we were trying to do is just to make people aware.”
“This is the very first year we’ve had this event,”
Fiorentino said. “Next year we’ll see if we can do even better.”
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