MSUM holds Constitution Day Celebration Sept. 18
Monday, Sept. 18 | 4 to 6 p.m. | Livingston Lord Library Porch
MSU Moorhead will hold a Constitution Day Celebration on Monday, Sept. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Livingston Lord Library Porch.
Sponsored by the MSUM Library and the League of Women Voters of the Red River Valley, Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. Constitution Day is an opportunity for our community to broaden their knowledge of the Constitution and learn how it has shaped our history and our lives. At a time when constitutional issues confront this nation daily, understanding The Constitution should be the hallmark of citizenship to know that it is not only a document of the past but a living one that impacts everyone today.
Speakers include MSUM political science professors Paul Kramer and Barbara Headrick. Kramer will talk about Constitutional issues impacting students and higher education, such as recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action and student loans. Headrick, also the vice president of the League of Women Voters of the Red River Valley, will share how citizens can civically engage. The League is a nonpartisan, grassroots political organization working to empower voters and defend democracy through education and advocacy.
Interesting facts about the Constitution
- The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world. It contains only 4,400 words.
- More than 11,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress; 33 have gone to the states to be ratified and 27 have received the necessary approval from the states to become amendments to the Constitution.
- The original Constitution is in a display case at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The cases contain argon gas and are kept at 67 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 40 percent to preserve the parchment paper.
Free pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution will be available, and light refreshments will be served.
Learn more about Constitution Day, which falls on Sept. 17 this year.
MSUM is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible event. If you need a reasonable accommodation to attend this event, please contact Chuck Eade at Charles.Eade@mnstate.edu at least two weeks before the event. You will be contacted individually to discuss your request.