UH Hilo celebrates Constitution Day, on campus and virtually, Sept. 17
UH Hilo is celebrating Constitution Day with an event on campus and through social media.
To commemorate the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, the Department of Political Science and Administration of Justice at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, in collaboration with the UH Hilo Student Association, will be holding an event on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. at the Campus Center Plaza. Those on campus are invited to the event to enjoy games, films, poster presentations, prizes, and more. (A reminder that anyone coming on campus must check in first with LumiSight, a new daily health check-in app for students and employees and required for everyone coming onto a UH campus.)
In addition, UH Hilo social media platforms will be sharing fun trivia facts about the U.S. Constitution throughout the day. Connect via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

“Talking through the structure and challenges of the Constitution is important, and we encourage you to engage with it and with each other in conversation and exploration,” says UH Hilo Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Kris Roney.
Learn more (links from Vice Chancellor Roney):
- Have you read the U.S. Constitution lately? Here’s an annotated version.
- Do you ever make notes in the margins when you have paper textbooks? The marginalia can be revelatory, fun, and extensive. George Washington had quite a bit to say on September 12, 1787.
- When did you first read or hear the Preamble to the Constitution? Vice Chancellor Roney remembers hearing it for the first time on Schoolhouse Rock:
- We often talk about the Bill of Rights and the other amendments, but the foundational Articles in the document explain the composition of the United States government and the relationships between the states. Need a quick refresh? See video below:
- As you know, much work goes into understanding the Constitution in both historical and current contexts. Here’s an interactive version of the Amendments that shows some of the debates about each.
- Need a break today? Here’s a Constitution Day crossword puzzle.
- Back to interpretation! This podcast (for which there is a transcript on the page) walks through one of the most oft used phrases about the First Amendment—“You can’t yell fire in a crowded theater!”