How to celebrate the birthday of the U.S. Constitution — virtually — this year

For the past three years, Constitution Day Centre has hosted a celebration at Tussey Mountain to commemorate the Sept. 17 birthday of the U.S. Constitution. But due to COVID-19 pandemic, the non-partisan nonprofit has moved this year’s event online, allowing for a larger array of online events over the course of the next month, as well as participation for interested attendees all around the country.

“In spring, our board members followed the trajectory of COVID cases nationwide and talked with local health experts on safety,” said Vicki Fong, vice president of community affairs for Constitution Day Centre. “Several exhibitors expressed concern about a fall event. We voted in May to postpone the onsite event at Tussey Mountain to September 2021. Eventually, all major events in Centre County followed suit. Our board did not have any experience with virtual events, but we studied some of the Penn State and national graduation virtual events. We decided to organize some Zoom talks led by board member Dr. Greg Ferro, who lectures nationwide on the Constitution, and create several celebratory videos on key topics.”

The celebrations kicked off Sept. 9, with an initial Zoom lecture led by Ferro on the topic of constitutional amendments and civil rights. While the lecture remains available to view on the organization’s website, the live event drew a virtual crowd of more than 280 people.

“I was expecting maybe 50 or 60 people, but we had 282 people sign up. We were beyond pleased with that,” Ferro said.

Other events include an online birthday celebration on Thursday; another live Zoom lecture with Ferro on Oct. 6; an event on why voting matters on Oct. 8; and a question and answer session with Ferro on Oct. 26.

As for Thursday’s event, there will be two videos featured.

“We plan to post two videos: a short celebratory video with several exhibitors citing their favorite amendments and reading the Preamble,” Fong said. “The second video is a reading about the Civil War Amendments: the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments bringing voting rights and civil rights to millions of Americans.”

While previous years’ events have featured notable speakers, such as Attorney General Josh Shapiro, as well as an array of vendors and exhibitors, the Constitution Day Centre team is working hard to bring the same celebratory vibe to the online events.

“We had close to a thousand people last year at Tussey and 40 exhibitors,” Ferro said. “This is a happy occasion. We have exhibitors, speakers, food vendors and music. It’s like a birthday party for the Constitution, like you have a birthday party July 4 for the Declaration of Independence.”

All Zoom lectures will be available for later watching, after each event.

Fong says the new tech capabilities that have come about from moving the event online are overall a positive, despite the lack of this year’s in-person celebration.

“Several volunteers submitted smartphone videos, while we recorded other volunteers and their statements via Zoom recording. As a result, the videos convey vibrant statements from exhibitors and volunteers who express their passion for the Constitution and our democracy,” she said. “Each lecture will be recorded as a video. All videos will be permanently available on our website and YouTube channel, and each Zoom talk will be recorded and posted as well. The virtual events are allowing viewers and participants to connect directly and personally. The public can explore the U.S. Constitution year-round now.”

To Ferro, giving citizens that increased access to education about the Constitution is vital for several key reasons.

“One, the U.S. Constitution is our only connecting link for all 340 million of us. Two, it’s America’s rule book; while no one likes rules, it makes us a civilization. Third, this is the document that sets the tone for the country — your presidents, your House members, your Senate members, your Supreme Court Justices — They take an oath to only one thing, the U.S. Constitution,” he said. “In that oath, they don’t promise a thicker Social Security check, or that there won’t be a war in their presidency. They promise one thing and one thing only — to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.”

Access to all 2020 Constitution Day events is available at www.constitutiondaycentre.org.