Story Published: Sep 17, 2009 at 9:31 PM PST
Story Updated: Sep 17, 2009 at 9:31 PM PST
They were celebrating on the UI campus Thursday. It was Constitution Day, celebrating the signing of arguably the most important document in the nation's history.
"We're trying to get people who are my age more educated about the signing, and what it means to have rights as American citizens," said Constitution Day P.R. intern Amanda Watson.
It was signed on September 17, 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and the Constitution's history and contents were putting random Vandals to the test at the UI Commons.
Besides over-thinking the question, "Who was named the first President by the Continental Congress?" Watson said she was proud of her peers.
"Actually, when I was writing it, I learned a lot myself," said Watson. "I'm actually really impressed by the answers people were giving and how much people know."
Fun facts were just part of UI's celebration. Judge Randy Smith of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals made a stop at the College of Law to talk about the Constitution’s rights, as well as its limits.
Evoking the most emotion from students was what organizers called the Constitutional Wall, blank paper in the Commons asking students to respond to rights-driven questions, one asking about the right to search students' bags on campus.
The thought-provoking day also included a panel discussion with legal experts.
"There's a performance going on in the library, you can participate in anything really," said Watson. "There's something for everyone, and it's usually educational, and something that everyone in our generation needs to know about."
