MTSU and the American Democracy Project will host this year’s Constitution Week from Sept. 15 through 17 to educate students and celebrate the document.
Constitution Day is not just about a document signed 250 years ago, but students’ role in shaping democracy, Amy Sayward, MTSU history professor and American Democracy Project, ADP, adviser, said.
“The Constitution or the Declaration of Independence can feel like the Taj Mahal, something far away,” Sayward said. “No, it’s also present, in our lives, in our spaces, in what limits and expands the opportunities we have right now.”
This year’s theme is “The Place of the U.S. Constitution and Students in Everyday Spaces,” which focuses on the importance of the voice of students. With a student-centered theme, prominent campus leaders like Student Government Association president R.J. Ware will moderate and support the event.
“The fact that Dr. Sayward is entrusting a student to do this is a real change from how things were previously done,” Ware said. “It’s important that students are at the center, because ADP on our campus is for us.”
Sayward became the ADP adviser this fall following the retirement of Mary Evans, who advised ADP for twelve years.
MTSU and ADP host a new keynote speaker each Constitution Day to discuss the week’s theme. The fees for the speaker come from the student activity fee, which increased during the last academic year.
The 2025 keynote speaker is journalist and author David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times and a commentator on the PBS NewsHour program. Throughout his career, Brooks has reported extensively on politics, culture and civic responsibility.
“I had read some of David Brooks’ work when they announced he was coming,” Ware said. “He is obviously a very thoughtful guy who understands current events and how they relate to politics and American life.”
Alongside the keynote, students can participate in campus-wide Constitution readings daily during the week of Sept. 15 through 19.
Constitution Day is on campus, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. in Tucker Theatre.
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