UK Focuses on Our Freedoms This Constitution Day

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 16, 2016) — The University of Kentucky and most universities and colleges across the country celebrate in countless ways the adoption of the U.S. Constitution by the American Congress on Sept. 17, 1787. Each year, federally funded educational institutions are required to hold educational programming in honor of this historic event. 

This year, UK marks the occasion – held on Sept. 19 because Sept. 17 falls on a Saturday – with Constitution Day events that fill more than seven hours. Under the direction and with the support of the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost, Assistant Provost Randolph Hollingsworth of Student and Academic Life guided the day’s events to focus on the First Amendment.

First Amendment Essay Contest

As part of the celebration, UK undergraduate students can win up to $500 (second and third awards are $300 and $200, respectively) in the UK Constitution Day First Amendment Essay Contest.

·       During the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this summer, protesters tried to burn the American flag. In 1989 and again in 1990, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that burning a flag is an act of speech and protected by the First Amendment and further declared on June 11, 1990, that laws against desecrating the flag are unconstitutional.

·       In 2010, pointing to the First Amendment, the court ruled unconstitutional the attempt by Congress to regulate the ability of nonprofit corporations to spend money in political campaigns. That means businesses, unions and organized groups can spend as much money as they choose for ads supporting or opposing candidates as long as they don’t coordinate such spending with the candidates’ campaigns.

All essays must address only this question: Should Congress propose an amendment to the Constitution that would limit the guarantee of free speech provided by the First Amendment so that national symbols, such as the flag, would be protected, and Congress could place limits on the amount of money flowing into political campaigns?

The contest is open to all UK undergraduate students, who can self-enroll online at https://uk.instructure.com/enroll/8E383D.  Entries must not exceed 750 words (excluding title or references) and should be submitted as a Word document in 12- point Times New Roman font and double-spaced. Essays that do not follow this format will not be judged. If any references or additional resources are listed (not required), use a nationally known citation format such as MLA or Chicago Style. Do not include your name or any identifying information except your LinkBlueID.

All entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on Monday, Sept. 19. Announcement of the winners and presentation of the prizes will be made during the First Amendment Celebration, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in the Kincaid Auditorium in the Gatton College of Business & Economics.

For more information, visit http://www.uky.edu/UGE/sites/www.uky.edu.UGE/files/Flyer-ConstitutionDay2016-EssayContest.pdf

The Essay Contest is sponsored by the UK Office of the President, the Division of Student and Academic Life in the Provost's Office, and the UK Scripps Howard First Amendment Center.

UK Constitution Day 2016 events include:

Supreme Court Decisions on Gender and Sexuality

“A Thin Veneer of Law: The Modern Evolution of Supreme Court Decisions on Gender and Sexuality” with historian Steve Estes, Sonoma State University, scholar in LGBTQ history. Estes will focus on LGBTQ* experiences and rights connected to “right to privacy” arguments in cases related to gender and sexuality since the 1970s — specifically about Fifth and 14th Amendment questions raised in multiple cases and that have contributed to significant turning points for LGBTQ* rights in the U.S. The event is sponsored by the UK Office for Institutional Diversity.

11-noon, William T. Young Library, Gallery Room

Apple Pie, Prizes, Voter Registration

Apple pie, lemonade and pocket Constitutions will be available to all passers-by, courtesy of the President's Office. Students will have the opportunity to sign up for TurboVote, a service provided by UK Student Government Association that eases access to new voter registration tools and can provide students with information about polling locations and Election Day reminders via text message. Every student who signs up for TurboVote will be entered in a drawing to win a "swag bag" of UK apparel and gear from the UK Bookstore. Posters will promote the UK Constitution Day theme, including information about obtaining absentee ballots, the Bill of Rights and First Amendment protections on campus. Organized by B. Gammon Fain, director of SGA Government Relations, the event is sponsored by UK Student Government Association.

Noon-3 p.m. White Hall Classroom Building, portico

Ambassador Ray Shares Global Perspective on First Amendment

“International Perspectives of Freedom of Speech” with Ambassador Anupam Ray, consul general of India. The ambassador will focus on freedom of expression and the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment from an international perspective. The event is sponsored by the Graduate School, the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, and the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.

12:30 p.m. William T. Young Library's UK Athletics Auditorium

Unconscious Bias and the First Amendment

“The First Amendment: The Patriotism of Protest.” The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution specifically includes the right to freedom of speech, but also the “right to petition government for redress of grievances,” meaning the right to make complaint to or seek the assistance of the government without fear of punishment. Throughout American history, prominent public figures have used this right to draw attention to social injustices, but often these protests are met with criticisms and questions regarding the patriotism of the protestors.  Activities will include a discussion of this issue and unconscious bias. The event was organized by Deshana Collett and Quentin Tyler, co-chairs of the student committee for the UK Unconscious Bias Initiative, and the Martin Luther King Center.

2-4 p.m. White Hall Classroom Building, Room 238

Faculty and Academic Freedom

“Faculty Speech and Academic Freedom” is a presentation by Scott Bauries (UK College of Law) with an introduction by John Thelin (UK College of Education). The event is sponsored by the University Senate.

3-5 p.m. William T. Young Library's UK Athletics Auditorium

Free Speech and College Campuses

Town Hall Forum: “Safe Spaces, Freedom of Speech and the American College Campus: Safe or free? For whom?” The debate pitting freedom of speech on college campuses and the desire to create safe spaces for historically marginalized groups has grown. UK’s Constitution Day Town Hall Forum seeks to thoughtfully and respectfully assess the complicated history and intersection between safe spaces and freedom of speech on campus, and to explore potential paths moving forward. The Town Hall Forum includes panelists: Patty Bender (UK EEO and Title IX), Lance Poston (LGBTQ* Resources), Scott Bauries (College of Law), Anastasia Curwood (History and African American and Africana Studies, College of Arts and Sciences) and Carol Mason (Gender and Women’s Studies, College of Arts and Sciences). Moderator will be Phil Harling, director of the UK Humanities Center and Gaines Center, the Academy for Undergraduate Excellence, and interim dean of the Lewis Honors College. The event is sponsored by the Office of the Provost - Student and Academic Life.

Reception at 5 p.m., William T. Young Library, Gallery

Forum at 6-7:30 p.m., William T. Young Library's UK Athletics Auditorium

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Gail Hairston, 859-257-3302, gail.hairston@uky.edu