Constitution Week at GCSU is an annual series of events that celebrates the writing of the final draft of the Constitution and highlights the importance of having knowledge of current events and how the Constitution has an impact on them. This week fosters a deeper understanding of the rights and responsibilities that shape American democracy and affect current events.
Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 17, Constitution Week opened with a warm welcome by GCSU President Cathy Cox, followed by a public forum debate. In the days to follow, lectures, enlightening discussions and informative luncheons highlighted specific topics concerning key topics set forth in the Constitution.
Tuesday also included two student-led debates regarding whether or not the United States should ban TikTok to support privacy and security and another debate centered around school shootings and gun regulation measures. GCSU students who attended the events learned about democratic values and how to debate.
“By watching the debates that took place during the first convocation day event, I learned that a solid argument rests on reliable sources and that having the ability to deliver an argument under pressure while being timed is an ability one needs to solidly present and prove their claim,” said Logan Coetzer, a freshman accounting major.
“After attending my first Constitution Week event ever, it made me realize the importance of freedom of speech this country was built upon,” said Anna Cruickshank, a sophmore marketing major. “And the gratitude we as citizens should have for being able to express our opinions even just as college students to wide groups with justice and understanding no matter what side of a problem we are fighting for.”
On Wednesday, events included Georgia Court of Appeals, a lunchtime talk centered around gender and the 2024 election facilitated by Jan Hoffman, professor of speech communication, as well as a panel discussion on checks and balances.
“Attending the Court of Appeals for Constitution week was very eye-opening!,” said Tori Totman, a sophomore psychology major. “Being able to witness a state court case on campus allowed me to see one of many ways the judicial branch functions at our state level.”
Similarly, Thursday’s events included a lunch discussion on the separation of church and state and a Supreme Court review panel.
“On Thursday, I was able to listen to three guest speakers about the Supreme Court Review,” said Charlotte Hally, a junior management major. “Judge Wade Padget, Professor Ivy White and Professor Matt Roessing were all really insightful and informative. It was really interesting to hear more about the duties of the supreme court and what the system looks like.”
Constitution Week is open to both students and the general public to attend. At these events, they are able to not only learn, but speak up about important events and topics.
A predominant topic discussed during this year’s Constitution week was the upcoming presidential election. Here, students and locals were able to see how the two parties presented their cases and spoke up about their beliefs on current topics.
As Constitution Week came to a close, students left empowered and informed. This week not only deepened students’ and locals’ understanding of the Constitution, but also allowed them to interpret and apply it in their own ways. The discussions sparked conversations and curiosity that left everyone encouraged to exercise their rights and duties as citizens.
