The first Presidential Debate is right around the corner. The content of that debate? Hot topics like immigration, gun control, civil rights and national security. With the election heating up, the Constitution and its articles have become even more relevant.
Constitution Day recognizes the 39 delegates who signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787 at the Constitutional Convention.
According to Kathleen Sooy, an Assistant Professor in Political Science, it’s important for students to know what the Constitution is and the powers that it holds.
“We do need to understand that the Constitution is fundamental law and that this is a doctrine that outlines how our government is going to be structured and its powers,” she said.
The Constitution, according to the Sooys’, is even more crucial with a controversial election coming up. They said that students can look at the information in the Constitution and find out how and where to look at the issues.
“We need to do the best we can to look at the information, look at the materials we can find and have a civil conversation about those constructive solutions that are out there,” they said.
Those issues are reflected by each presidential candidate and, according to the Sooy’s, it is important that students look at those issues and take the positions they would like to take.
“At the end of the day, we the people have the responsibility to study those issues to become aware of who the candidates are, what the issues we are facing in the country,” they said.
The Constitution, according to Kathleen, is important because of student’s responsibility to know the powers of the President because it plays an important in this election.
“Those individuals, whomever the next president is going to have an awful lot on his or her plate. They’re going to have issues on national security, they’re going to deal with immigration issues they’re going to deal with economic issues, security issues, all of which will impact us in some way,” she said.
According to Jennifer Sooy, the Adjunct Faculty in Political Science, students play an important role in keeping their leaders accountable and that’s why it’s so important for them to understand what role leaders have in the Constitution.
“They have to be engaged because at the end of the day they are the ones that are going to keep their leaders accountable and provide that information,” J. Sooy said.
They advised students to go and make their voice heard on the issues that matter to students.
“It’s really the responsibility of citizens to have their voice heard and one way is to go to the voting booth,” they said.
The Constitution cannot have grown outdated because, according to the Sooy’s, the issues keep coming back around and are getting even more important than they were before.
Susan Brenner, a law professor at the University of Dayton, will be speaking at the Constitution Day event on cybersecurity and cybercrime on September 15. The event will be held in the Tartan Marketplace from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and will be in 7006, in the ABC rooms. There will be a Q&A following the talk and they will have refreshments.
- Sooy said that it is important that students be aware of the issue of cybercrime as technology becomes more and more important and, according to the Sooy’s, our technology is more vulnerable.
“If we’re not educated on this issue, or as many issues as possible, we cannot influence our leaders, much less the policies they make,” she said.
Cybercrime and cybersecurity have been placed under scrutiny after it was revealed that Russia hacked into the Democratic National Convention and North Korea hacked into Sony Pictures Entertainment. There was also national attention on Edward Snowden after he revealed classified information about the NSA.
The Founding Fathers couldn’t have predicted the Internet and the vulnerabilities it would have. According to the Sooys’, United States citizens vulnerable to hacking and the Constitution does not apply to foreign countries.
Brenner will speak more on the topic at their Thursday event.
Constitution Day also recognizes citizens of the United States and their rights as citizens.
Originally, Constitution Day falls on September 17, but because that is on a Saturday, they will be celebrating it on Thursday, September 15.
The Student Engagement Center will also be holding events on Friday, September 16. They will have a U.S. trivia game with popcorn and prizes as well as voter registration. It will be held in Building 11 on the third floor.
They will also provide an opportunity for students to learn about the U.S. Constitution in the basement entrance between Buildings 1 and 7.
Laina Yost
Managing Editor