Constitution Day activities set for Sept. 17 on Purdue campus

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For the 15th straight year, Purdue University’s College of Education and the James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship will host Constitution Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 17) in Purdue Memorial Union, Room 118. The event is an interactive learning experience to promote the importance of civic literacy and the signing of the U.S. Constitution more than two centuries ago.

This year’s Constitution Day celebration comes with opportunities to play and watch games through Quiz-Off, and enjoy complimentary brownies, cookies, coffee and more. By playing a number of interactive games to test constitutional knowledge, attendees can win prizes like T-shirts, bags, mugs, and signed basketballs and footballs. Drawings to win will be held every hour.

Two trivia-style game shows will be held in the Great Hall, giving invited participants the opportunity to showcase their constitutional knowledge. The 11:30 Student Quiz-Off will feature the Purdue College Democrats against the Purdue College Republicans. Mayors, legislators and others will face off in the Celebrity Quiz-Off at 12:30 p.m.

Interactive exhibitions at Constitution Day are:

* Constitution games, including the Bill of Rights Spinner, Preamble Scramble and Purdue University Senate’s civics Kahoot.

* C-SPAN exhibit.

* Voter registration through Purdue Votes Coalition and the Big Ten Challenge.

* Purdue University Libraries’ exhibition on banned books.

In 2004, the U.S. Congress declared that Sept. 17 would be Constitution Day, dedicating it to increasing the nation’s civic literacy and requiring all federally funded schools to develop educational programs surrounding the signing of the U.S. Constitution. The Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship, which is housed in Purdue’s College of Education, has coordinated this event annually since 2005. For more information, visit the Constitution Day webpage.