The South Dakota State University continues celebration of Constitution Day, the anniversary of the 1787 signing of the nation’s founding document.

SDSU political science students will participate in a mock constitutional convention to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Convention delegates will campaign to persuade students, faculty and staff to vote either “for” or “against” ratification of five proposed amendments narrowed from over 20 student-suggested changes to the Constitution.

A public forum on the amendments will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Hilton M. Briggs Library room 105. After the forum, anyone in the campus community can vote on the proposed amendments between Oct. 11 through Oct. 14, online through InsideState or MyState, SDSU faculty and student Internet portals.

Some of the proposed changes to the Constitution include giving the federal government more power to fund and regulate public education, putting restraints on the President’s power to deploy troops without the consent of Congress and abolishing the death penalty.

“The purpose of this project is to provide a mechanism for public discourse on constitutional principles,” said Julie Lane, assistant professor in the history and political science at State. “The project is also intended to enhance citizen engagement in democracy on the part of both students and the broader campus community.”