Waynesburg University’s Stover Scholars Program will present “Piercing Power: Religious Freedom, Liberty and the Legacy of Pierce v. Society of Sisters” in celebration of Constitution Day Thursday, Sept. 20, at noon in the Goodwin Performing Arts Center.
“The Stover Scholars have been working for months to write this drama, which raises important questions about constitutional interpretation and the role of the state regarding religious and individual liberty,” said Dr. Lawrence M. Stratton
“The Stover Scholars have been working for months to write this drama, which raises important questions about constitutional interpretation and the role of the state regarding religious and individual liberty,” said Dr. Lawrence M. Stratton, director of the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership and associate professor of ethics and constitutional law.
The play dramatizes the 1925 Supreme Court case Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, which struck down an Oregon state law requiring parents to send their children to public schools and prohibiting parents from sending their children to religious and private schools.
Tyler McCoy, a senior history major, chaired a committee of Stover Scholars who authored the play.
“This play is the result of many months of writing and deliberation within our committee, and I am very pleased with the final draft,” said McCoy.
Other scholars on the committee included T.J. DeNofrio, a junior social sciences (pre-law) major; Drew Hreha, a sophomore journalism major; Olivia Schultz-Falandes, a senior social sciences (political science) major; and Ryan Williams, a sophomore social sciences (political science) major.
Admission is free, but tickets are recommended and can be secured online at waynesburg.ticketleap.com/constitutionday2018.
For more information, contact Dr. Stratton at lstratto@waynesburg.edu or 724-852-7702.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three additional sites located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is one of only 22 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
# # #
Ashley Wise, Director of University Relations
724-852-7675 or awise@waynesburg.edu
