Originally published Sept. 11, 2015
by Kelly Rogge
Kansas City Kansas Community College will take a closer look at the recent Supreme Court ruling that marriage equality is a Constitutional right during its annual Constitution Day event.
The Constitution Day Forum will being at 11 a.m. Sept. 17 in Room 2325. Snacks will be provided.
Faculty panelists will present some background on the Constitution, the right to marry and the specifics of the court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, followed by time for questions and discussion.
Presentations will include:
• A general introduction by reference librarian Joseph Grasela.
• An explanation of judicial review by political science professor Jessie Johnson.
• A brief history of how marriage became a constitutional right by Media professor Bryan Whitehead.
• An analysis of the Supreme Court’s decision by business law professor Janet Velazquez.
• Remarks from community member Seth Eckelman, whose life was directly affected by the court’s decision.
• An open discussion facilitated by social science professor Valdenia Winn.
This forum is the college’s official observance of Constitution Day, the annual commemoration of the ratification of the Constitution and celebration of its importance in American society. Created in 2004, Constitution Day replaced what was previously Citizenship Day. Federal law requires that all educational institutions that receive public funds provide some type of education programming on the history of the American Constitution, leading to events such as the one at KCKCC.
Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at Kansas City Kansas Community College.