Cresson, Pa. – Mount Aloysius College will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizen Week on Tuesday, September 18th with a “Day On” that will include a provocative panel discussion entitled “Is There A Home for Young People in Politics.” The panel discussion will take place at 3:30 PM in historic Alumni Hall. Participants will include: Mike McLaughlin, regional field director of Organize for America; Sherene Hess, president of the League of Women Voters Indiana County and Cecilia Houser, former executive director, Cambria County Republican Party and campaign manager for Tim Houser, candidate for Pennsylvania Senate; and Senator John Wozniak who represents Pennsylvania's 35th Senatorial District includes Cambria and Clinton County and parts of Clearfield and Somerset Counties. Mount Aloysius College faculty member Michael Jones, Ph.D. will facilitate the discussion. The public is invited to attend.

Nationally, Constitution Day - also called Citizenship Day - is a federal observance recognizing the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. Also observed as Citizenship Week, the observance commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. The commemoration was established in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by the late Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill. Universities and colleges nationwide have use the occasion of "U.S. Constitution Day and Citizenship Week" to educate their communities about the unique and seminal document. 

Dr. Jones noted that the panel discussion will avoid partisan debate or dialogue but will introduce students to the importance of participative citizenship. “Certainly we won’t ignore the election currently bearing down upon the electorate,” said Dr. Jones. “But we want listeners to come away from this discussion with an appreciation of the U.S. Constitution,” he added. “A major freedom in our nation is our ability to exercise our right to participate in the electoral process. We hope the panel will answer the question directly – “Is there a home for young people in the political process?"