The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and the American Democracy Project will kick off Constitution Day on Sept. 16 with activities to enlighten students and the community on the importance the U.S. Constitution.

Constitution Day, recognized nationally on Sept. 17, commemorates the ratification of the Constitution in 1787 and encourages students to become informed citizens.

“All citizens ought to have some familiarity with the Constitution of the United States because that is the defining statement of the entity of which they are citizens,” Howard Schweber, political science professor at University of Wisconsin Madison, said.

Schweber will lead the UW Oshkosh’s Constitution Day celebration with a discussion on Thursday about how the Fourth Amendment is critical to the meaning of the Constitution, especially where the rights of an individual versus those of the state are concerned.

“There is no point at which the power of the state and the freedom of individuals clash so directly as in the application of criminal law,” Schweber said.

David Siemers, political science professor at UW Oshkosh and chair of the American Democracy Project, said the importance of the Fourth Amendment’s search-and-seizure laws became more apparent after terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He said the laws have changed to combat terror, and citizens should think about whether that is good, bad or both.

“Students in dorm settings will be interested in search and seizure,” Siemers said. “Is their dorm their property, or can the University search it? Can the police come in and look around? Are students’ cars their property?”

Schweber will present “Is the Fourth Amendment Obsolete? The Constitution in a Dangerous World” as the first of three Constitution Day events at UW Oshkosh. The lecture will take place in Reeve Memorial Union Theatre at 7 p.m.

Constitution Day Dunkapalooza will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 17. Students will answer questions about the Constitution for a chance to dunk a faculty member or student.

The Reeve Union Concourse will host “Constitution, Conversation and Cupcakes” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pocket Constitutions and cupcakes will be given out.

• For more information about Constitution Day, visit www.uwosh.edu/adp/constitution-day.