“The North Carolina Constitution grants power, while the United States Constitution restricts power,” Justice Robert Orr of the NC Supreme Court explained that this fact is one of the most important things to learn from the Constitution Day Lecture.
Orr gave a short overview of the NC Constitution. Robert Ferguson of the WCU Department of History gave a speech highlighting the importance of state constitutions. Chris Brook of the American Civil Liberties Union gave a comparison between the two constitutions.
Todd Collins talking to audience before Constitution Day lecture starts, Bardo Arts Center, Sept. 17, 2014. Photo by Michael Williams
The lecture panel was attended by more than 70 students and community members. The biggest subject of discussion was the importance of the Constitution of North Carolina.
“I feel that this evening was a very successful one,” said Todd Collins, one of the organizers of the event.
The panel was on Wednesday, Sept. 17, in the Bardo Arts Center.
“I came here tonight because I know how important the Constitution is to me,” says Janis Knowles of Sylva. “If more people become aware of the effects the Constitution has on them, I think they’d become better citizens.”
Every year, WCU hosts an event for Constitution Day. This event was one part in a year-long series of events here at WCU that tie-in with the theme, “North Carolina- Our State, Our Time.”
