Featured Photo by Jenene Grover
Story by Jenene Grover and RJ Ware
Middle Tennessee State University celebrated Constitution Week with the American Democracy Project the week of Sept. 17 to educate the student body and to foster greater appreciation for the Constitution.
Various students read aloud the Constitution around campus, and former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker and U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper spoke on Sept. 18 in Tucker Theater about the polarization of America.
The American Democracy Project spearheads the tradition of reading the Constitution aloud, mandated by a 2004 congressional law requiring institutions that receive federal funding to recognize Constitution Day.
“Constitution Week is an important teachable moment to educate our students about American democracy and how fragile it is,” said Dr. Mary Evins, Director of MTSU ADP. “Learning about the Constitution is just a piece of our larger civic understanding about the foundation of this country.
“The Constitution is the rulebook, guidebook, and the framework that oversees the structure of our lives.”
Although many students are registered voters on MTSU’s campus, their understanding of America’s founding document seems to be limited, said Victoria Grigsby, President of the American Democracy Project.
“I think it’s really important because a lot of students don’t know what rights they have and what the Constitution even means,” said Grigsby.
Grigsby also stressed the significance of the read-alouds, noting that they “encourage students to be civically engaged.”
The title of Cooper and Corker’s conversation was “Common Sense Civics: Can We Work Together Again to Solve America’s Problems?”
Being open to the public, the audience consisted of various elected officials around the state, including State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, students, faculty and other citizens.
Two MTSU students, one an undergraduate political science student and one a public history graduate student, had the chance to interview the former officials.
Both Cooper and Corker recently retired from their elected positions, but they found the discussion important, especially directed toward MTSU students.
“MTSU is arguably Tennessee’s main university. . . it’s vitally important that we talk to students and help them understand because if you don’t know, then who’s going to know? If you don’t know, then we’re screwed,” said Cooper.
Throughout the talk, Cooper referenced how lack of education can lead to destructive consequences for society, taking the country back to before its founding.
“You literally maintain civilization. All it takes is one generation of people who don’t learn, then we’re back in the dark ages,” said Cooper.
While recognizing some issues with the current Republican party, Corker maintained he believes America to have the same values, understandings and hopes.
“I think this is the greatest country on earth because any of us have the opportunity to be anything we want to be,” said Corker.
Meant to represent both sides of the current argument, Cooper and Corker had healthy debate on our current society and direction of the country.
“Most Americans are clueless when it comes to understanding even the parts that refer to their rights,” said Cooper.
Corker expressed optimism about the future of America despite the current extremism and polarization active within politics, creating a somewhat standstill in terms of progress.
“I still believe we are the greatest country in the world. We are going through a bad patch, and I believe by 2028 this is going to burn itself out,” said Corker.
Cooper was asked his thoughts on former President Donald Trump’s bid for re-election and his current indictments. When Cooper responded that it was the voters’ decision, a heckler argued that people are innocent until proven guilty.
When asked what change they would make to the Constitution if they had the chance, Corker and Cooper originally responded that they had no legitimate wants to change the Constitution.
However, they offered some examples that reflected some of the wants of the general public: Corker wished for term limits and Cooper supported abolishing the electoral college.
RJ Ware is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
Jenene Grover is the government and politics reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact News Editor Kailee Shores, Assistant News Editor Alyssa Williams and Assistant News Editor Zoe Naylor, email newseditor@mtsusidelines.com.
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