In reflection and celebration for Constitution Day, students gathered in the Interdisciplinary Resource Center to listen to a lecture focused on the role of the Constitution.
The celebration and lecture had 15 people in attendance and went from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The celebration was about looking back to the Constitution and reflecting on the document itself. It contained article sections highlighting judicial power, executive and legislative. The lecture mainly focused on the judicial portion and how it related to the Supreme Court.
The coordinator for the Political Engagement Project and the Political Science department Professor David Takitaki gave the lecture.
“In our role as faculty and my role as the political engagement coordinator, we need to inform people so that they can understand,” Takitaki said. “ And at the end of the day, it’s not important to me how a student chooses to respond to the information about these big, big issues.”
While the United States is nearing the presidential election, it is important for citizens as individuals to be informed and have the right to be informed about the Constitution and what a presidential candidate must do in order to uphold these Constitutional rights and laws.
The lecture didn’t focus on the candidates themselves, but rather on the Supreme Court, how they relate to the Constitution and how recent events such as Roe v. Wade and the events with President Trump have challenged what judiciary power the Supreme Court has.
Digital animation and game design sophomore Christine Leverenz attended the lecture.
“When I first came here I wasn’t really expecting to be interested in it, but like when they started talking about Trump and like how he just got away with stuff, I was kind of shocked because I didn’t know that,” Leverenz said. “I mean, I feel like people are so misinformed nowadays about, like what the president can do and like stuff like that.”
Leverenz was referring to the part of the lecture where Takitaki discussed the difference between civil immunity and criminal immunity and used the recent trials with former President Trump as an example because it involves the judicial system, the decisions of the Supreme Court and how those decisions affect our government and the system.
Social studies education senior Noah Spinale found the event to be important.
“I think it’s a lecture that most college students should go and experience, just because it’s a good way to just get informed about what’s going on right now,” Spinale said. “Even if, like you’re not that much involved in politics or what’s going on, it gives you a good understanding.”
Takitaki emphasized the importance of understanding judicial decisions and their broader impacts on constitutional rights during the lecture. This celebration is an example of staying informed on politics and how our Constitution is structured.
“It is important for the population broadly to have access to high-quality information, and then use that information to hold leaders accountable,” Takitaki said. “As citizens, as individuals. We need to know what’s going on, and we need to do our jobs in holding politicians accountable, and that can mean asking the hard questions.”
The Political Engagement Project is geared towards educating students about civic and political issues, it helps students by equipping them along with the community, with the skills needed to participate in political and civic life effectively and its goal is to encourage Ferris student participation.
“Citizens are the most powerful voters, with the most powerful role in America,” Takitaki said “And you’re talking about someone who is going to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, on this simultaneous Constitution Day and voter registration day, I think that needs to be us.”