Constitution comes to life at Technology Center
The deputies bore striking resemblance to actual students, but their portrayal brought the message home to students, faculty and staff who filled the Jonah Fitch Room. Each attendee was called upon to take an active role in the Sept. 16 program directed by Mike Garrison, coordinator of student services.
Garrett Green, an industrial maintenance student from Palmer, bested a panel in demonstrating his knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. For his efforts, Green won valuable prizes selected especially for him (school logo items).
Participants also learned about the parts of the Constitution, recited the Preamble, reviewed the Bill of Rights, discussed significant legislation affecting public education, and watched a clip from the movie “The Patriot” that illustrated the early struggles as citizens prepared to battle their mother country.
Bills passed in Congress last December mandate each school which receives federal funds hold an educational Constitution Day program on or near the actual date (Sept. 17) that commemorates the signing. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia), the unofficial Congressional constitutional scholar, said he believed American primary, secondary, and post-secondary students lack significant knowledge regarding the United States Constitution.
The quiz competition demonstrated Byrd’s contention that Americans hold more pop culture awareness than constitutional knowledge. TTC competitors were given toss-up questions concerning the Constitution and bonus questions covering pop culture.
Green was perhaps the exception. He knew Philadelphia is the city in where the Constitution was signed and that Beverly Hills is the city that the zip code 90210 is attributed to.
The Tennessee Technology Center at McMinnville specializes in workplace training but also works to instill desired worker characteristics and develop responsible citizens. Students enrolled in practical nursing, medical assistant, surgical technology, electronics technology, machine tool technology, industrial maintenance, automotive technology, computer operations and business systems will begin the fall quarter Oct. 3.