Waynesburg University’s Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership presented their annual Constitution Day play on Thursday, Sept. 17, in Alumni Hall, located on the third floor of Miller Hall.
This year’s Constitution Day drama focuses on the Second Continental Congress, which approved and signed the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago in Philadelphia. The production is entitled “Voices of Independence: The Congress that Built a Country.”
The program was drafted by a committee of Stover Scholars: Sydney Kratsas, Makai’o Nihipali-Sanchez and Olivia Toth. The committee drew upon six months of Stover Scholar discussions of the scholarly account of the Declaration of Independence written by Richard R. Beeman, titled “Our Lives, Our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor: The Forging of American Independence, 1774-1776.”
“Understanding the Declaration of Independence is essential to understanding the U.S. Constitution,” commented Dr. Lawrence M. Stratton, director of the Stover Center and professor of ethics and constitutional law. “In fact, the Declaration’s statement ‘whenever any form of government becomes destructive of’ the ends of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, ‘it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government’ historically pointed to the U.S. Constitution as the new form of government, which was ultimately formed and approved by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787.”
“This drama portrays the political dynamics which led to the Declaration of Independence and I commend the Stover scholars for their creative dramatization of the path toward America’s 250th birthday,” Stratton said.
Each year, the Stover Scholars select a different historical or governmental topic to research, write about and perform for their annual Constitution Day production, providing an experiential opportunity for students to bring a constitutional moment to the campus community and honor the U.S. Constitution.
“Being part of the constitution day play committee is something that I look forward to each year,” said senior Stover Scholar Olivia Toth. “The tradition of universities across America honoring the history of the constitution each in their own unique interpretation encourages young citizens to engage with the founding document on a personal level.”
“Voices of Independence: The Congress that Built a Country”
*This presentation is student-produced content.
The full cast list includes:
- John Adams/Narrator 8: Sydney Kratsas
- Sam Adams/Narrator 12: Gracie Rape
- Abigail Adams/Narrator 4: Olivia Toth
- John Dickinson/Narrator 3: Rachel Arhin
- Joseph Galloway/Narrator 9: Josh Baily
- John Jay/Narrator 14: Avery Rape
- Richard Henry Lee/Narrator 5: Josiah Shimizu
- Edward Rutledge/Narrator 22: Emma Shashura
- John Hancock/Narrator 13: Tessa Eggleston
- Thomas Paine/Narrator 17: Jackson Saunders
- Benjamin Franklin/Narrator 6: Makai’o Nihipali-Sanchez
- George Washington/Narrator 21: Tyler Gordon
- Colonist 1/Narrator 10: Katie Cottis
- Colonist 2/Narrator 18: R.T. DeFries
- Colonist 3/Narrator 20: Benjamin Horne
- Colonist 4/Narrator 2: Samantha Hetrick
- Vignette 1/Narrator 1: Eddie Perot
- Vignette 2/Narrator 15: Carolyn Clarkson
- Vignette 4/Narrator 19: Allie Onderko
- Vignette 5/Narrator 7: Joel Baily
- Vignette 6/Narrator 16: Christian Anderes
About Waynesburg U.
Consistently ranked a best value school, Waynesburg University’s Strategy for the 21st Century affirms its commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and ethical leadership skills for all students. Rooted in its mission of faith, learning and service, the private, Christian university is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania.
About the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership
Waynesburg University's Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership is an interdisciplinary scholarly center dedicated to bringing insights from the U.S. Constitution's Founding Era and from Christianity to bear in the contemporary public square, with the ultimate goal of creatively transforming the ethical state of the polis.
