MC celebrates Constitution Day with multi-lingual reading of the Preamble

Sept. 13, 2006
Karen B. Eldridge, Director of News and Public Information
865.981.8207; karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu

Maryville College will celebrate Constitution Day Sept. 15 with several faculty, staff and students reading the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States in various languages.

The event, free and open to the public, is scheduled to begin at noon in Humphreys Court.

“We the People ...” will be heard in English, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, American Sign Language and other languages. Refreshments will be provided following the event, and free booklets of the entire Constitution will be available to those who want one. 

The celebration, held to recognize the 219th anniversary of the signing of the document that sets out the nation’s guiding laws and principles, became an annual event at Maryville College and colleges and universities across the country last year. Congress passed legislation in May 2005 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.”

Dr. Mark O’Gorman, associate professor of political science and coordinator of the celebration, said the 2006 event is being held two days early to accommodate students who may be off campus on Sept. 17 (Sunday), which is the actual date of the holiday.

He said he proposed a multi-lingual reading of the Preamble (and select Bills of Rights) to college administrators because he wanted the day also to be a celebration of the global reach of the U.S. Constitution.

“Sometime next month, the population of the United States will crack the 300-million mark, and we are almost exclusively a nation of immigrants,” he said. “I wanted to honor that heritage with a global look at how people view Ellis Island and this nation through their own [native tongues]. With this approach, we not only consider how they translated it, literally, we recognize the ideals behind the Constitution. Many immigrants were drawn here – and continue to be drawn here – because of the words of the Constitution.”

Referencing a 2003 report by the United States Institute of Peace, O’Gorman said that of the 200 national constitutions in existence today, more than half have been written or rewritten in the last quarter century.

“From Afghanistan and Albania to Zambia and Zimbabwe, constitutions exist in nations around the world as the document recognizing a positive social contract between citizens and government, and as the cornerstone for respecting diversity and culture in its many forms on the planet,” he said, adding that by celebrating the U.S. Constitution, “we recognize how constitutions help bring together diverse peoples under a common cause.”

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 2009 semester is 1,103.