UM-Presque Isle celebrates Constitution Day

    PRESQUE ISLE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle celebrated the 220th birthday of the signing of the U.S. Constitution with a presentation by a constitutional law expert and a political scientist.     On Monday, Sept. 17, students, faculty, staff and community members celebrated Constitution Day by gathering at the University’s Library Conference Room for a 45-minute presentation on constitutional authority, the War Powers Act of 1973 and the division of powers between the president of the United States and Congress.
    The event started with the distribution of miniature versions of the U.S. Constitution and a group reading of the Preamble.
    Leading the presentation was President Don Zillman, a nationally-known expert on constitutional law, and Dr. William Davidshofer, a political scientist and one of the University’s longest-serving professors. Zillman and Davidshofer discussed the overlapping constitutional authority of the executive and legislative branches, especially when it pertains to war.
    Their discussion, an exploration of the effectiveness of the War Powers Act of 1973, touched on the power Congress has to declare war and the power the president has as commander-in-chief of the armed forces to direct troops in the name of national security.
    Congress designated September 17 as Constitution Day – a national celebration of our country’s founding document – to commemorate the Sept. 17, 1787, signing of the Constitution. In 2004, Congress passed a spending bill that included a provision requiring every school and college that receives federal money to teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, with a grace period should that day fall on a weekend or conflict with established schedules.
    To provide education to the entire campus community – including those who could not attend the Monday morning presentation – the University installed a display on the first floor of the library featuring information about the Constitution. In addition, anyone logging onto a university computer that day will receive a pop-up window that leads them to www.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/. The site features an interactive version of the Constitution.