By Chloe Gamber, Head Academic Writer
Photos from swic.edu, iStock, and Dr. Ann Collins
1787
On September 17, 1787, the delegates in the United States Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the U.S. Constitution! In remembrance, the Holman Library along with the All in Civic Engagement Committee gathered to make their mark. Professor Collins had students from three different American Politics classes join at the library. Pocket constitutions along with pencils were handed out for the students. The students also engaged in writing questions and responses on civil liberties and civil rights. Understanding these fundamentals of our history and celebrating it is a spectacular way to gain knowledge from others and to become involved in something bigger than our lifetime.
Questions as a Student
One of the questions on the board included, “As a student, what do you believe is your most important constitutional right?” The depth of this question goes beyond a quick response you can search on the internet. Everyone holds very important views on the rights we were born with, and this is something to cherish.
Another great example included is, “Which is more important during a global health crisis: individual rights or the common good?” This question has a lot of ethical value and takes a lot of critical thinking. With so much going on during this time in the world, we continue to ask questions both about the past, the present, and the future in order to express our curiosity of society as a whole.
Let’s dive further into these questions…
“What do you believe is your most important constitutional right?”
This question can be answered in various ways. The opinions and ethical values we all obtain throughout life affect how we view our constitutional rights. All are easily said to be important and necessary, but we all face them in different amounts and in different phases of our lives. Each right holds the highest importance to us when necessary in order to protect us and without this we could not prosper the same way in life. Without any one of the rights given, life could fall apart for someone which is a very scary thought. With this, we all should continue to appreciate each right we have and preserve them through righteous actions.
“Which is more important during a global health crisis: individual rights or the common good?”
There is a lot of philosophical meaning within the definition of the common good and individual rights. Both are practiced on different levels for everyone and both involve beneficial factors on different realms. Participation in the common good can help a community grow and help us benefit from society. Individual rights are in place to create self-recognition and self-righteousness. Being able to answer questions such as this one and being open for discussion is a great way to grow new understandings of life and self development.
