Sept. 17th, 2011, marked the 224th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. To commemorate the signing, we held our 2nd Annual Constitution Day Celebration at Vanderbilt.
Distributing 1,200 pocket Constitutions over three days, Friday Sept. 16th through Sunday Sept. 19th, YAL members educated students on the Constitution while providing insight on the need for limitations on power and responsible use of power in order to achieve good governance in both public and private matters.
In each pocket Constitution, we included a short quiz to test the recipient's knowledge of the Constitution. We also displayed a replica of the U.S. Constitution and encouraged students to sign it!
Participation in these activities aided students in becoming ethical, responsible, and self-disciplined leaders; challenged them to develop an appreciation for civility and diversity; prepared them for community leadership and citizenship; and supported an environment that embraces discourse and the exchange of ideas.
Since it was also family weekend at Vanderbilt, there were many students showing the campus to their parents. We noticed that parents were often very receptive to our message, and their responses were quite encouraging; a few personally told us that they appreciated the good work we were doing.
Some parents sat at the nearby tables and skimmed the Constitution as they waited to meet up with their children. Several reacted to the event by asking their students why they were not already involved in our organization. As a result, we even had a few students walk up and ask how to get more involved!
Overall, we put a smile on many faces, educated a lot of students, and recruited members and potential leaders into our organization.
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