LCU holds Constitution Day scavenger hunt
Louisiana Christian University held a campus-wide scavenger hunt Monday to celebrate Constitution Day. Clues were hidden around campus for participants to learn more about the importance of the historic document.
In 2004, Congress established Constitution Day, Sept. 17, as a day for the nation to remember and celebrate the document that established the U.S. system of government. When Constitution Day falls on the weekend, it is traditionally celebrated on the Friday before or the Monday after.
The Constitution of the United States of America opens with the words “We the People.” When this document was written in 1787, it was fairly radical to believe that political power should be placed in the hands of the people – instead of in the hands of a king – but this principle has been the guiding light for our nation for the past 236 years.
“I think it is especially important for students to realize that they are part of the story of the Constitution – that they are a vital and active part of the phrase ‘We the People,’ “ said Dean of Humanities and Socal Sciences Dr. Christine Reese. “In that spirit, Dr. Alecusan created a scavenger hunt around campus that students could participate in to learn about the importance of the Constitution for our nation.”
Dr. George Alecusan, assistant professor of political science, said he thought a scavenger hunt was a great experiential learning activity for students to find out more about the Constitution.
“I firmly believe that the Constitution should be studied while students are in the classroom, but giving the students a chance to exercise their legs, not just their minds, can help build a positive culture on campus,” he said.
Students who completed the scavenger hunt were entered into a drawing with the winner receiving a gift card to the LCU bookstore.
Senior social work major Stella Shaw, of Porter, Texas, was the winner of the scavenger hunt competition, and she said it was a fun and interactive way to recognize and learn about the Constitution.
“I require students to read a short excerpt from Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address,” Alecusan said. “After a very contentious win over rival John Adams, President Thomas Jefferson remarks, ‘[A]ll will, of course, arrange themselves under the will of the law, and unite in common efforts for the common good.’ As Christians, especially, we should be looking for those opportunities to promote the ‘common good’ and the good that belongs to God. We should take that liberty that is enshrined in the Constitution and put it to the best, and highest, use possible.
“When we think about the current landscape of American politics, we think almost exclusively about the polarization and partisanship that is gripping our society. The Constitution of the United States reminds us that there should still be places of commonality and common ground.”
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Media Release | Sept. 19, 2023 | Pineville, Louisiana
Contact: Dr. Elizabeth B. Clarke, Director of University Communications | Elizabeth.clarke@lcuniversity.edu