Owensboro Community and Technical College

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OCTC Recognizes Constitution Day

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (09/18/2023) — On Monday, September 18, 2023, Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) recognizes Constitution Day with a presentation titled "A Federal Constitution and Notions of Equality" by Matt Alschbach. The presentation was shared with the campus community at large, and copies of The U.S. Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It are available in the Learning Resource Center on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Alschbach is a History Professor at OCTC. He earned a master's degree in history from San Diego State University and a bachelor's degree in history from California State University San Marcos. He has presented his research at numerous conferences and events, discussing topics such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Muhammad Ali, the Salem witch trials, temperance and prohibition, the U.S. Constitution, and the historical role of women as legitimate practitioners of medicine. Alschbach serves on several college committees dedicated to students' success both in college and in life.

On Constitution Day, we recognize the anniversary of the nation's constitution and the efforts and responsibilities of all citizens in sustaining the constitution.

In the summer of 1787, delegates convened in Philadelphia to create "a more perfect union" and construct the country's constitution. They worked to develop a framework that would provide balance and freedom, considering national and state interests and individual human rights. The delegates signed the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787. By June 21, 1788, the Constitution was ratified, having been approved by nine of the 13 states.

In 1940, Congress created "I Am an American Day" to be celebrated on the third Sunday in May. On February 29, 1952, President Harry Truman signed into law "Citizenship Day." It was established to replace "I Am an American Day." On August 2, 1956, Congress requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week." Another change was made to the event when a federal law enacted in December 2004 designated September 17 as "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day."

OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams commented, "We hope that the topic of this Constitution Day encourages discussion and deliberation among the students, faculty, and staff and that community members feel free to join us."

For more information about the event, please contact bernie.hale@kctcs.edu.

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Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.

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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.

Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC

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