Students Tackle Tough Issues at Sept. 22 Constitution Debate

ACC students will tackle tough issues as they mark the 224th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. The college’s fifth-annual Constitution Debate Day Celebration will give students an opportunity to examine their knowledge and beliefs about the Constitution while reflecting on their rights in today’s politically-charged climate. The event is expected to draw 800 students.

The debate is Thursday, September 22, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Palmer Events Center (900 Barton Springs Rd.).

Samantha Davis, president of ACC’s Center for Student Political Studies, attended last year’s event.

“Students are more passionate about their rights than we are given credit for,” says Davis. “We read about how most Americans are apathetic, but that assumption is wrong.”

This year’s theme is “A More Perfect Union.” Facilitators will present students a variety of scenarios – with topics including the debt ceiling, immigration laws, and voter identification requirements – and lead them through a debate on constitutional questions.

“Interpretations of the Constitution are dynamic,” says Peck Young, director of ACC’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies (CPPPS). “This debate allows students to expand their understanding of our country’s guiding document, share their beliefs, and learn from one another as well as Constitution experts.”

Online registration is available for interested students as well as prospective Constitutional Guides and Process Facilitators. For more information, contact Maxine Kaplan in the External Affairs Department at 223.7050 or [email protected].

The event will be hosted by CPPPS, ACC’s Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Center for Student Political Studies, the Student Government Association, and the City of Austin. The event is co-sponsored by the ACLU Foundation of Texas and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

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