Celebrating Constitution Day

In honor of the signing of the Constitution of the United States in 1787, the Office of Student Financial Services and the Frank Ritchel Ames Memorial Library held a celebration on Monday, September 17^th. During the event, students, faculty and staff took part in educational programming designed to refresh their knowledge of the Constitution.  Activities included a game of jeopardy which doubled as a raffle entry for an Amazon gift card. For those who didn’t make it past the hard hitting jeopardy questions (categories included Constitutional Conundrums and Ethical Dilemmas), cake, ice cream and a life-size cutout of George Washington made for a memorable event.

Officially established as a holiday by Congress in 2004, Constitution Day (once known as Citizenship Day) is commemorated by all educational institutions that receive federal funds. The holiday celebrates the day in which delegates (including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) met to sign the Constitution of the United States at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The document outlined the basic freedoms and rights of citizens, as well as separated and set limits on federal and states’ government, forming a solid foundation for America’s democratic government. Additional amendments further expanded the rights of citizens and include the freedom of speech and women’s suffrage.