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URI celebrates the U.S. Constitution yesterday with readings by members of the URI community - faculty, staff and students.

URI celebrates Constitution Day

By: Annie-Laurie Hogan

Posted: 9/16/05

09/16/05 - University of Rhode Island students, professors and administrators celebrated U.S. Constitution Day yesterday in the Memorial Union Ballroom by reading selections from the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and a list of banned books. The event coincided with Banned Books Week.

"I was really thrilled by the response," Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Judith Swift said. "I had more people who wanted to participate than we could manage."

According to the U.S. Appropriations Act, federally funded schools are required to have an "educational program on the U.S. Constitution" during the week of Sept. 17.

"It's a great time to talk about our civil liberties and what we expect from the government," Swift said.

"Youth have very little power in the government bureaucracy," said URI Raise Your Voice fellow Carlo Baca. "However, it does not mean that we are powerless. Our greatest power is the right to raise our voice."

Baca and Raise Your Voice senior Jessie Gillman gave speeches on same-sex marriage, the Patriot Act and women's rights.

"[Women] are successful doctors, lawyers and CEOs," Gillman said. However, legal discrimination is not a thing of the past. Some women only earn 75 cents for every man's dollar."

Members of the URI community also read passages from a banned books list that included Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," Walter Dean's "Fallen Angels" and Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."

"Each year, hundreds of books are challenged in this country," Graduate School of Library and Information Studies professor Michael Havener said. "Books are challenged by people because they express ideals people are uncomfortable with."

"I thought the most moving piece was [Director of the Multicultural Center] Melvin Wade's reading of 'Native Son,' GSLIS professor Cheryl McCarthy said. "I enjoyed how he incorporated his personal history with the reading."

Wade's reading of Richard Wright's novel depicted the struggle of an African-American family living in segregated Chicago during the 1930s.

"Growing-up in segregated Mississippi, I had never heard of 'Native Son,'" he said. "Indeed, American society was such a restrictive agent on the possibility of growth for people who were segregated."

Not all selections focused on class, gender or racial issues. "The book most often challenged by those seeking to ban books in 2000 was Harry Potter," Havener said. "There is a particular concern when a book is seen to be promoting witchcraft."

However, audience members reacted favorably to GSLIS professor Gale Eaton's reading of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Audience members also responded to the constitutional readings and it effect on American college students.

"I'm a member of [Students for Sensible Drug Policy]," sophomore Rebecca Long said. "The issues we deal with really back constitutional rights. I think the [Bush] Administration is getting away with bending the rules because nobody knows what the rules are."

"I think students are apathetic because they are not as included in our government as they should be," Baca said. Baca said he believes citizens should be allowed to run for U.S. Congress at the age of 16 instead of 25. "The [age] line that they drew was completely arbitrary."

Raise Your Voice is a student organization that focuses on political issues, activism and service projects.

"As my first encounter with Raise Your Voice, I am impressed by the caliber of students who are involved on this campus politically," audience member Meg Boile said.

The Office of the President, Office of the Provost, URI Library and Raise Your Voice sponsored the event. A list of banned books can be found at www.ala.org.