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SFCC Recognizes Country's Most Important Document

KATHY WATERS/Highlands Today

Political science professor Marcy Everest hands out copies of the U.S. Constitution to South Florida Community College students on Monday at the Highlands campus. Some students received extra credit for attending the Constitution Day festivities.

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By MANDY SHEETS | Highlands Today

Published: September 19, 2007

It's the most important document in the United States' history and 220 years after the founding fathers attached their signatures to it, Americans continue to celebrate its importance.

Students and faculty at South Florida Community College commemorated Constitution Day on Monday afternoon with a series of events.

Professors handed out pocket-sized versions of the U.S. Constitution, and many students stuck them in backpacks and pockets.

U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., who helped create a federal recognition of Sept. 17 as Constitution Day, carries a copy of the Constitution in his pocket.

Pam Hansen, chairwoman of social and behavioral sciences, said federal law requires public institutions to recognize Constitution Day with events to teach about the document.

"This is definitely a federal mandate that is better than some of the others," Hansen said. "All students take American government and learn about the Constitution in that required class, but this is a good way for students who haven't taken that class yet or want some more in-depth knowledge to learn about the Constitution."

Jessica Green admitted she doesn't know much about the Constitution, but learned some interesting trivia during a Jeopardy-style trivia game Monday at the University Center. Many of the students in American government classes, like Green, earned extra credit for attending the day's events.

Jacquelynn Avis participated in Constitution Jeopardy and was a member of the winning team.
"We just got asked a bunch of questions about the Constitution to get people hyped about history," Avis said. "The Constitution is a really important document that's really old."

Jessica Baker also was on the winning team in the trivia competition. She is taking an American government class while working toward becoming a teacher. She said she read through the amendments and did some studying to prepare for the game, but most of her knowledge is committed to memory.

"I think one of the most interesting things is that three delegates didn't even sign it," Baker said.
After the trivia game, Robert Fitzgerald, professor emeritus, gave a lecture titled "George Mason and the American Constitution - So What?" Although Mason is not as well known as some of his fellow founding fathers, Fitzgerald said he is one of the most profound.

"He is probably best remembered as a delegate who wouldn't sign the final document," Fitzgerald said.
One of Mason's objections to the Constitution was that it lacked a bill of rights.

"To Mason, the idea of government was threatening because he was creating an authority that can take away liberties," Fitzgerald said. "He, as many of his peers, recognized that government is a necessary evil, so it should be as restricted as possible."

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