Maryville College observes Constitution Day

September 2, 2010
Contact: Annie Standridge, Staff Writer
865.981.8085; annie.standridge@my.maryvillecollege.edu

On Friday, Sept. 17, Maryville College will observe the 223rd anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. 

Constitution Day festivities will take place at noon in the Bartlett Hall Atrium.  Students are invited to participate in “Know Your Constitution,” a fun and educational quiz game. They will answer questions such as, “What is the main topic of Article 1 of the Constitution?” 

“We’ll read together through the Preamble and then try to better understand the rest of the text by engaging the document through this game show format,” said Dr. Doug Sofer, assistant professor of history at Maryville College.  “We’ve tried to put together some questions that will not only test people’s general knowledge of the Constitution but get them to think a little more deliberately about the implications of these founding principles of our republic.”

All participants and spectators will receive a free copy of the Constitution, and top-scoring participants will earn gift cards to the college bookstore.

In 2005, Congress passed legislation declaring that “each educational institution that receives federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.”

The Constitution Day celebration became an annual event at Maryville College and colleges and universities across the country in 2005.

Sofer explained how Constitution Day is an opportunity for people to understand the historical significance of the nation’s most important document.  

“A lot of people talk about the Constitution—what it means, the intentions of its authors, how it should properly be applied, and so on.  Fewer people take the time to really read through the document and to try to understand its historical context.  That’s one of the things I’d like to see happen as a consequence of Constitution Day.”

The event is free and open to the Maryville College community and the public. 

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state‘s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2011 semester was 1,078.