Source: Instagram, @sacredheartuniversity.
Hack the Constitution, an event hosted by the Sacred Heart University Political Science and Global Affairs Department, was held on Sept. 17. Students presented their Constitution “hacks” to a room full of faculty and peers.
The competing students shared their ideas regarding the best course of action to change the United States Constitution. A panel of three judges and audience members then asked follow-up questions.
“This is part of the University’s celebration of Constitution Day, so our primary goal is to draw attention to the continued relevance and importance of the U.S. Constitution,” said Dr. Steven Michels, Political Science and Global Affairs Department Chair.
“We’re also hoping to highlight the way in which our government and politics could be improved.”
With multiple topics of discussion, each student had a different justification for their proposals.
“When thinking about the surrounding question on revising the Constitution, I mainly considered how old it actually is. I felt like there was definitely deep-rooted conflict in comparison to our modern-day world,” said sophomore and competitor Aaid Maram.
Maram ended up winning the event and took several factors into consideration when forming her hacks.
“One of the main aspects that brought up the idea was the current election. Everyone I spoke to felt like they had no choice but to choose who they hated less or not vote at all because they felt like their vote wouldn’t make a difference,” said Maram. “Essentially it all led to my idea of updating term limits to have a wider spectrum of opportunity for more leaders to act in representing the people.”
Maram credits some of her arguments to the cultural and social shifts present in the U.S.
“Our society is constantly evolving, so the people who are meant to represent us should also reflect that and mirror our ever-changing environment,” Maram said.
Maram may have been the winner of the competition, but the other three students presented their arguments with conviction, as well.
Sophomore Olivia Yessis and junior Elle Yurkstas were the only pair to participate in Hack the Constitution as a team.
“When making my ‘hack’ I wanted to choose a topic that had an overarching effect on the American people. That’s why I went with the addition of civic education in schools as it deserves just as much emphasis as math or science,” said Yessis.
“I feel that people should be able to understand their federal government and be excited to participate in it civically,” she said.
The presentations all varied from student to student, specifically on what their end goal was.
“Looking at the other presentations, it was interesting to see how some focused on our structural changes like term limits while I was more about educating the next generation. This allowed me to gain insight into other topics and refine my own,” said Yessis.
While there were clear differences in ideology, the students remained supportive of each other. Each team cheered and clapped for their fellow competitors.
“Overall, it was an amazing experience to be able to converse with other politically-driven people,” said Yessis.
Hack The Constitution was viewed as a success, invoking lots of engaging discourse between faculty and students.
“The event is also an opportunity to showcase the outstanding majors in political science and other fields, especially with regard to their civic mindedness and creativity,” said Michels.
