Next week, Drury freshmen will be writing out the United States Constitution, in the FSC outside of the commons. This student organized project is designed to help Drury students become more aware of their governing document and set a foundation for the rest of their expectations of politics.

Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of English Dr. Peter Meidlinger is teaching a CORE 101 class based on the hit musical Hamilton. Emily Schulze, a freshman behavioral neuroscience and political science major, said that the Hamilton CORE class really caught her attention.

“I was interested in a musical that could help me study and I was interested in rap music, as well, so that combination was what hooked me,” she said.

It was through his research for this class that Meidlinger became inspired by the work of Morgan O’Hara. O’Hara is an artist who developed an idea of copying down the Constitution by hand as a way to create an intimate connection with the document. Meidlinger proposed it as an activity for his CORE 101 class and then gave the class the opportunity to plan it.

The class decided to extend the offer to the entirety of the student body. They believe they will be delivering their own form of protest of the current political climate by providing something educational to the student body. Jacobany Dye, an education major, believes that the Constitution is the fundamental place to observe our rights as citizens.

“Our constitution is what gives us our rights and defines our country. Once we know our rights and our country, we can then know what to stand up against,” said Dye.

Schulze claims that not knowing the words in the document can create a disconnect for our understanding of politics.

“We don’t know the constitution word for word, so taking the time to write it out and actually learn about the document that governs our country is really important,” said Schulze.

Dye agrees, saying that the best way to learn something is to write it out.

“No one reads the constitution, no one writes it. But once we write it, we’ll know it. And once we read it, we’ll figure out what needs to be fixed about the Constitution,” said Dye.

Dye’s biggest priority in this project is to revive the importance of the Constitution in the eyes of students and incentivize them to participate more actively in democracy.

“We need to bring the Constitution away from 1776 and into the present. College students are the future. Springfield, Missouri is a good place to start this and maybe it will make a difference,” he explained.

If you’re interested in writing out the Constitution or just jamming out to Hamilton, make sure to come see the Hamilton CORE class on Sept. 11 and 13 located in the FSC, outside the commons. The event hours will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on each date. They are hoping for many students to participate.