Constitution Bowl provides historical insight and service hours
All photos by Taylor Baker.
Lee University is marking this year’s Constitution Day by hosting a Constitution Bowl on September 17. Commemorating this day of American history, the event brings together local high school students to compete in a political science quiz over the Constitution and other American political documents. The teams compete in multiple rounds and go head-to-head with a champion at the end of the day.
The Constitution Bowl is coordinated by Political Science Professors Dr. Ana Alves, Dr. Thomas Pope and Dr. Mark Scully. The event draws students in from as far as Knoxville and Chattanooga to test their knowledge on the political foundation of the United States.
Lee University has a decade-long history of organizing this event. Scully said its success has followed throughout the years. More than 100 students are expected to participate this year.
This year’s Constitution Bowl will also be sponsored by Lee’s chapter of the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honors Society. Melissa Haley, a senior political science major and president of Pi Sigma Alpha, is working closely with the political science professors to coordinate the event. Haley has been a part of this competition for the last four years.
Haley said students face tough competition, but there is a strong sense of encouragement from friends and family. When asked about preparation, Haley said planning happens throughout the year, and the assessment of questions and restructuring takes a long time.
“The quiz questions are not repeated in any tournament to maintain equity for the participants,” said Haley. “All questions are vetted by Pope… we also try to make sure that the questions aren’t too obscure.”
Civic education has been touted as the main objective of this event. Scully said he hopes this event will help people grasp a greater understanding of political surrounding. He highlighted the necessity of discerning how the constitutional system brings people together within partisanship, allows them to have disagreements, in an orderly, peaceful and rational manner.
“I hope it helps refocusing our attention away from frenzies of the political moment and tour the heritage of the institution that brings us together,” said Scully.
Dr. Landa Torrence, who serves as the Student Success Center’s coordinator of learning support, said the event is a good opportunity for participating students to retain American history. She added that it is also beneficial for Lee to have high school students come over and spend the day around the campus as it encourages the students to think about their future choices.
Torrence highlighted that high school students are rarely aware of political issues, and in most cases, students may forget what little political knowledge they learn in high school.
“We learn about this stuff just to get out of [class]. There is no real emphasis on retaining that information,” said Torrence.
Scully has similar goals.
“It is important to give students a reason to think deeply about America and its constitutional government,” said Scully.
The Constitution Bowl will take place on Sept. 17 on Lee’s campus. For more information, contact Dr. Mark Scully at mscully@leeuniversity.edu.
