WHEELING, WV, Sept. 11, 2009 – Wheeling Jesuit University marks Constitution Day 2009 with its fifth annual program celebrating the United States Constitution. Open to the public, the program begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Discovery Center, located in the Center for Educational Technologies ® (CET).

Also in attendance will be local high school students and Wheeling Jesuit students.

The formal program begins with a welcome from Wheeling Jesuit’s Interim President Davitt McAteer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, led by Student Government Vice-President Megan Foutty. Afterwards, McAteer will introduce the featured speaker, U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey.

"Wheeling Jesuit University is honored to welcome Chief Judge Bailey to our Constitution Day as we celebrate the anniversary of the signing of this vital document. For students and citizens alike, it's a great opportunity to connect with perhaps the most important document in American history," McAteer said.

Bailey will discuss the role of the judiciary in the Constitution.

Afterwards students and guests will enjoy a presentation by McAteer of Wheeling Jesuit’s Foundations of Freedom Award, given annually to a leader who has advanced the public’s knowledge of the U.S. Constitution.

This will be followed by a very special presentation of living history by Ilene Evans, an internationally known actress, singer and storyteller.

Evans, who assumes the role of runaway slave and American hero Harriet Tubman, will narrate an online illustration entitled, The Constitutional Virtual Field Trip. This multimedia presentation offers virtual field trips to learn about the birth of America and the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. More than 30 historical sites including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the National Constitution Center, are included in the virtual tour.

Finally, the Constitution Day celebration ends with a fun game, played online, Who Wants to Be A Million Dollar Citizen.

Wheeling Jesuit University and its Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies, named in honor of Sen. Robert Byrd's late wife, have been instrumental in integrating technology in classrooms throughout the United States and many of these promote good citizenship and the Constitution.

Congressional legislation proposed by Byrd was enacted into law in 2004 designating Sept. 17 each year as Constitution & Citizenship Day. This date was selected for observation because the Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787. Constitution & Citizenship Day also focuses on the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, both native-born and naturalized.

For more information about the Constitution Day celebration, please contact Tricia Lollini at 304-243-2135.