Constitution Day at UH Hilo

Today marks 231 years since the American nation’s Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Constitution. In honor of the day, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Political Science Department occupied Campus Center during lunch on Monday to generate student awareness about one of America’s most important legislative documents.

“The U.S. Constitution is something that definitely has historical value,” says Micah Marshall, who works for the Political Science Department. “It’s really dense so I think a lot of people don’t have the time to read it, but people should still understand its concept. I like history and seeing what people can do when they work together.”

Sarah Marusek, Professor of Political Science, hopes to promote student democratic engagement by providing them with pocket-sized copies of the U.S. Constitution to use as a resource. “I think it’s one of those documents that seems completely inaccessible, and therefore really lofty,” says Marusek. “But it’s the basis of everything in the United States in terms of law, so students should be able to have access to it.”

“The U.S. Constitution is still very much alive,” continues Marusek. “I want people to know that it’s ours and belongs to us. This represents legislative power, so they wrote it to represent the people and not just a political figurehead. This document says that all the people in power are accountable to us. We always think of the president as being the one in charge, but our government is set up to represent all of us. Even to hold it in your hands should remind students that this our document.”