By Laia Meseguer Corbatón
Western Illinois University (WIU) celebrated U.S. Constitution Day with a poster session and a panel discussion with professors at the University Union on Sept. 16. The event kicked off with WIU students presenting posters that showed relevant Constitution figures or cases that involved the 14 Amendment, one of the main points of the event.
University President Guiyou Huang attended the occasion and appreciated the work of the students and their professors for the organization. Huang looked at every poster, talked to its creators, and took a picture with every student.
Richard Hardy, professor of political science, started the discussion with the introduction of the 14th Amendment as well as an appreciation to all the professors, students, and public for celebrating the U.S. Constitution day together.
Executive Director of International Affairs Randy Glean focused his speech on the race problem. Glean explained the differences between black and white people before the law in U.S. history. Glean emphasized the discrimination against black people in some aspects of the legislation. “That is actually the term the Constitution uses in referring to people who look like me, ‘other persons,’” Glean said. In addition, the professor demonstrated the importance of representation, and how the Constitution educated us to see black people as “beings of an inferior order.” He also alluded to the necessity to “retool” and rethink the Constitution according to the actual society.
Another professor of political science, Erin Taylor highlighted the gender and sex-based discrimination protected under the law over the years. Taylor underlined the most important Supreme Court decisions in relation to equality between men and women. Taylor showed the audience the importance of the activists and how society, the legislation, and the Constitution have changed.
Students and the audience could participate with questions and remarks in the lecture and have casual and interesting discussions with the lecturers to end the WIU 2022 celebration of the U.S. Constitution.
