Constitution Debate Day

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theaccent
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Story by Devorah Feldman
Photos by Chase Hoeppner

Questionable laptop searches by Homeland Security, the rights of same-sex couples and the use of race in college admissions policies were among the topics that sparked debate during ACC’s seventh annual Constitution Debate Day

More than 400 people packed the Palmer Events Center on Sept. 24 to celebrate democracy and dissent. For nursing student  Zoe Lopez, the event was a new experience.

     “It will be good to open my eyes and see different points of view,” she said before the event started.

For part of the evening, Lopez and the other participants sat around large round tables with faculty, staff and legal professionals who assisted with the flow of discussion and answered the students’ legal and governmental questions. Toward the end of the evening, a representative from each table would present the views discussed to the entire room.

Associate Director of the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies Associate Director Maxine Kaplan  said the event was designed to open students’ minds to the Constitution’s relevance in their daily lives.

The next Constitution Debate Day  is scheduled to take place next fall.

IMG_9358 Chase Hoeppner
PROCESS — A Constitutional Guide provides feedback on points students had come up with on their topic. The Guides ranged from attorneys to judges and anyone else with extensive Constitutional knowledge.

 

IMG_9485 photo by Chase Hoeppner
SPOKESPERSON — An ACC student gives his group’s opinion on whether or not the United States acted in accordance with the Constitution when it took action against alleged terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki. Students weighed in on a wide range of topics.

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