Penn State to celebrate the nation's freedoms through Constitution Day activities

University Park, Pa. -- On Sept. 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention came to a close in Philadelphia after 39 delegates put pen and ink to paper and wrote into history the basic freedoms that would define the country. More than 200 years later, Penn State joins the nation in celebrating this legacy of freedom with a variety of Constitution Day programs starting Sept. 16.

"To celebrate the Constitution and to encourage members of the Penn State community to view our Constitution as the foundation for the blessings of liberty envisioned by the founders, we offer an invitation to study the keystone of America's faith in rule of law and democratic governance," said Jeremy Cohen, co-coordinator of this event and assistant vice president and senior associate dean of undergraduate education.

Events will kick off with a recitation of the Constitution's Preamble on Friday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m. on the Old Main lawn. Penn State's ROTC Color Guard will join members of the University community as they read the Preamble in unison. The first 100 Penn Staters to arrive will receive a free 3" x 5" American flag. Participants are encouraged to dress in red, white and blue.

At the heart of Constitution Day celebration is "The Constitution: An Exploration of Expression," a live panel discussion of contemporary constitutional issues, which will be held on Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. in 101 Pattee Library at University Park. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend on a first-come, first-seated basis. The event will be video streamed and available live upon request to all Penn State campuses.

The panel presentation will include an interactive question-and-answer session, for which all campuses may submit questions. Panelists include:

Kellie Butler, assistant professor of political science
David Dillon, State College Area School District
Charles Garoian, professor and director of the School of Visual Arts
Martin Halstuk, assistant professor of communications
Nancy Love, associate professor of political science
Patty Satalia (moderator), executive producer and director of WPSU

Constitution Day also will be marked on the University Park campus with exhibits at Pattee and Paterno Libraries. Resource literature and relevant political cartoons will be on display at the libraries and online. For more information, contact Helen Sheehy at (814) 863-1347 or hms2@psu.edu

For more about these programs and Penn State's observance of Constitution Day, as well as how to connect to the live streaming of these events, visit http://www.ulc.psu.edu/constitutionday/