Cal U professor wants students to know bylaws
CALIFORNIA – History and political science professor Dr. Sean Madden wanted students at California University of Pennsylvania to walk away knowing the rules of the game after attending Constitution Day held Tuesday morning in the Natali Student Center. “This country is their club and these are their bylaws,” Madden said. “You should know the rules of the game you play.”
Approximately 50 students attended Constitution Day, an event the U.S. Department of Education requires educational institutions receiving federal funding to provide.
Madden, College of Liberal Arts acting dean; Dean of Student Development Alan James; and history and political science faculty members Drs. James Wood and Joseph Heim were speakers on a panel discussion titled “The Constitution in the Twenty-first Century: Freedom and Order.”
Panel moderator Dr. Melanie Blumberg, of Cal U’s history and political science department and co-chair of the Cal U chapter of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ American Democracy Project, agreed with Madden’s hopes for students attending the event.
“I hope they gain a better understanding and appreciation of their freedoms and the importance of the document itself,” she said. “It’s important for students, or anyone, to understand how the constitution works. It’s a foundation for understanding how our government system works.”
Constitution Day came about after Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat and the United States Congress’ unofficial constitutional scholar, determined that students were “woefully uninformed” about the constitution, Blumberg explained. The House of Representatives and the Senate approved a December 2004 amendment from Byrd to increase constitutional knowledge among primary, secondary and post-secondary students.
During the panel discussion, the professors spoke on different aspects of the constitution.
“There is much to admire and criticize about the constitution,” Wood said. “Compared to other constitutions, ours is very concise, and ambiguous in parts, which allows for growth and change.”
Madden urged students to learn, if nothing else, the seven articles of the constitution.
“You need to learn this,” he said. “If you learn the seven amendments, you are constitutionally literate.”
Madden also expressed concern about the “Did Not Vote (DNV) Party.”
“They don’t vote out of apathy or they don’t like a candidate,” he said. “In this system that is a flaw.”
Voter registration forms, as well as literature and a citizen’s guide to the constitution, were available at the event. Congressman John Murtha’s office provided copies of the constitution to the crowd.
Heim spoke about the constitution’s primary author James Madison, while James related Thurgood Marshall’s legacy to students.
“His legacy is beyond our comprehension. He thought about the rights of the people,” James said of Marshall. “You’re passing through this university and making your imprint. Marshall did that.”
A question-and-answer session followed the panel discussion.
Sean Gallagher, 22, a political science and history major, asked the panel for advice on the best way to become politically involved.
“If you want to make an impact, step up,” Wood advised. “Do more than vote.”
“Make use of your time here,” Heim suggested. “Consider a career in public service. You’ll always have a job.”
James echoed Wood.
“It’s a step-up issue,” he said. “You need to step up and follow through.”
Gallagher said he left the event with a “good feeling for the constitution and its use today.”
“The constitution is not just an old document,” he said. “It still means something and is an active, vital part of our government.”