MCC to Sponsor Constitution Day Lectures

MANCHESTER, CT - From Manchester Community College: Monday, September 18, from 9:30 to 10:50 a.m. in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium, Manchester Community College will kick off a series of 80-minute lectures to celebrate the birth of the U.S. Constitution. The “Constitution Day” lecture series is free and open to the community. MCC classes are also welcome.

The U.S. Constitution, arguably one of the most crucial developments in history, established America’s government, laws and rights, and remains a living document. “Everyone should understand the basic meaning and importance of the Constitution,” according to MCC Professor Angelo Messore, who teaches political science and sponsors the series, which features speakers to discuss key components of the Constitution.

The lectures are a yearly event at the college. “We have been honoring the Constitution for a little over twenty years,” Messore said. “The lectures introduce people to basic ideas in the Constitution. Especially with issues such as presidential power, citizenship and voting rights having such a focus, the principles in the Constitution are so important to be aware of.”

The first guest speaker is Colonel Alaric J. Fox, a 22-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police and deputy commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. “I believe it is important to have a wide variety of guest speakers so that people can see different sides and views of the Constitution from those whose lives rely strongly upon it,” Messore said. Fox’s lecture is entitled, “The Constitution as the Roots of Criminal Procedure.”

Monday’s second guest speaker is Attorney Richard Voigt, partner in the law firm of McCarter & English. His talk, “The Big Gamble: Article VI and the First Amendment of the Constitution,” is at 12:30 p.m. in the Great Path Academy Community Commons., Voigt is recognized as a Chambers USA “Leaders in their Field” lawyer and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America© and Super Lawyers in Connecticut. A lecture by Attorney Dan Barrett, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, will be held Tuesday, September 19, in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium at 11 a.m. Barrett focuses his advocacy efforts on privacy, racial profiling and police accountability, as well as on many other issues related to First Amendment rights. He will speak on “The Constitution and Civil Liberties.”

The final lecture in the Constitution Day series will be held Wednesday, September 20 at 9:30 a.m. in the Great Path Academy Community Commons with State of Connecticut Attorney General George C. Jepsen. Jepsen has been elected to both the Connecticut General Assembly and House of Representatives, and will be speaking on “Federalism and the U.S. Constitution.”

For information, including more on each topic, visit the Events Calendar on MCC’s website — www.manchestercc.edu — or call Professor Messore at 860-512-2755; by email, amessore@manchestercc.edu.

About MCC

Students of any age who possess the desire to pursue higher education are welcome at Manchester Community College. MCC is proud of its academic excellence, new facilities, flexible schedules, small classes, low tuition and faculty with both academic and “real world” credentials. The college offers over 80 certificate and degree programs, transfer options, financial aid and scholarships, as well as access to baccalaureate degrees through guaranteed admissions programs with several universities. The main, park-like campus, which is easily accessible from I-84, is also the home of Great Path Academy, a middle college high school, serving grades 9-12. MCC was named as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges for 2015 by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.

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