MSU Constitution Day Activities

On Wednesday, September 14, 2005 the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Office of Student Leadership Programs sponsored two events for Constitution Day. The first was a Constitution Day table positioned between the SGA table and the voter registration table during the Student Activities Fair. The table featured information about the United States Constitution and a large-scale copy of the Constitution which people were encouraged to sign. The second event was a panel discussion on "Free Speech" which took place from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Richardson Hall. The audience was comprised of approximately 100 freshman students from the Emerging Leaders Learning Community and approximately 20 others including MSU students, staff, and faculty. The panel discussion was framed around an incident occurring during the 2004-2005 school year. The incident involved an itinerant speaker coming to campus promoting the anti-GLBT agenda. Panelists used the incident to discuss the expanse and limits of free speech on the campus of a public university, the rights and responsibilities of US citizens, and proper policies and protections for a public university. Panelists included:

• Esmilda Abreu, Director Equity and Diversity Programs/Women's Center (served as Moderator)
• Dr. Reginald Ross, Dean for Enrollment Management Services
• Steve Smith, Director of Campus Recreation
• Jessica St. Clair, Coordinator for Service Learning
• David Kois, SGA Treasurer
• Michael McPhee, Editor, The Montclarion (student newspaper)
  

On Friday, September 16, 2005 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. MSU hosted a video cast and discussion on "Free Speech in the Digital Age." National Public Radio's Margot Adler hosted a discussion from the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives. The discussion focused on censorship issues involving libraries, textbooks, and the Internet. The program examined the reasons for both safeguarding and limiting speech including: protection of minors, community safety, ensuring a free marketplace of ideas, and guaranteeing democratic institutions--all excellent topics to jump start classroom discussion on First Amendment freedoms. Guests included: First Amendment Attorney, Floyd Abrams; Past President and CEO of the Motion Picture, Jack Valenti; and Association of America and Stanford Law Professor, Lawrence Lessig. Following the video-cast, there was a discussion forum, moderated by Todd Kelshaw of the Communication Studies Department. The 27 students, faculty and staff attending the event shared in a lively and challenging discussion regarding the issues raised in the video-cast. The program was provided by the Annenberg Foundation as part of their "Justice Learning" initiative (www.justicelearn.org/constitution). Campus sponsors included the Henry Sprague Library, Information Technology and the Center for Community-Based Learning.