Jody Baumgartner

The Constitutional Convention lasted from May 25, 1787 through September 17, 1787.

George Washington served as president of the Constitutional Convention, but did not speak during any of the proceedings until the Convention’s final day.

On September 17, 1787, only 39 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document.

The original Constitution signed on September 17th and ratified June 21, 1788 is only five pages long.

Three Latin phrases appear in the Constitution: pro tempore, ex post facto, and habeas corpus.

Benjamin Franklin, at age 81, was the oldest delegate, and had to be helped to sign his name.

Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention and was the last state to ratify the Constitution (May 29, 1790).

The U.S. Constitution is the oldest governing document of any nation today. Norway’s comes in second and was codified in 1814.

“Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, died Thursday at age 96 surrounded by her children and grandchildren at Balmoral Castle in Scotland… The Queen, whose reign of 70 years and seven months was the second longest for a sovereign monarch in world history after Louis XIV (whose rule stretched from the mid-17th century to the early years of the 18th century), not only appointed 15 prime ministers (the first, Winston Churchill, having been born 101 years before the last, Liz Truss), but also saw 13 American Presidents, seven UN Secretary-Generals, seven popes, and the global population almost triple since ascending to the throne.

“As the news of the Queen’s death broke, ordinary Brits converged at both Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace and, in a scene too fantastical for The Crown, a double rainbow appeared outside the palace as the crowd sang “God Save the Queen.””

Text from https://www.commonsense.news/p/tgif-god-blessed-the-queen?utm_source=email

The 2nd Annual ECU Political Science Department Constitution Bee will be held next Friday, Sept. 16, at the Black Box Theater (in the student center), from 9-Noon. The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement and Pirates Vote.

You can come watch and learn, or participate by registering at http://tinyurl.com/constitutionbee.

Dennis McCunney, Intercultural Affairs, and Guiseppe Getto, Dept. of English, will serve as guest editors for an upcoming issue of Metropolitan Universities journal. The theme for the issue is “Global Outreach and Engagement: Navigating the Tension Between Local Impacts and Global Responsibilities.” Founded in 1990, Metropolitan Universities journal disseminates scholarship on cutting-edge topics pertinent to urban and metropolitan colleges and universities. The Journal is a peer-reviewed, open access publication—which means that it employs traditional methods of evaluating manuscripts while ensuring that those accepted for publication are freely available to anyone interested in the issues and themes covered. Manuscripts are due by December 2, 2022. The issue is scheduled for publication in summer 2023.

You can more about this upcoming issue here: https://www.cumuonline.org/metropolitan-universities-journal/calls-for-papers/

Since 2005, the Washington Monthly has ranked colleges based on what they do for the country. Unlike U.S News & World Report, which relies on crude and easily manipulated measures of wealth, exclusivity, and prestige, their ranking is based on contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service.

2022 National University Rankings

DID YOU KNOW?

John Shallus, a clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, physically wrote the Constitution down on parchment paper. The Convention paid him $30 for his services, which is worth about $800 today.

In the list of signatories, the word Pennsylvania is missing an “n.” In Article 1 Section 10, there’s an errant apostrophe attached to what should be its. There are spellings such as defence or labour and even “chuse” for choose.

Which position has the longest term of office in the federal government, aside from federal judges? According to the Constitution, the Comptroller General of the United States and the Assistant Comptroller General have the longest tenure at 15 years each. (See: Art. I, sec. 8, cl. 18; Art. I. sec. 9, cl. 7; and Art. II, sec. 2, cl. 2).

Probably the single best online tool ECU students can be familiar with is Degree Works, which makes navigating your degree – what classes to take, etc. – simple!

See: https://politicalscience.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/119/2019/07/DegreeWorks-ProTips-004.pdf

Follow Us: @ecupolsci

Dr. Baumgartner’s review essay of political humor and its effects was recently published by the online Oxford Bibliographies.

“Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies offers exclusive, authoritative research guides. Combining the best features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this cutting-edge resource directs researchers to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects.”

A link to the essay is here: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756223/obo-9780199756223-0350.xml?rskey=Rt3rNM&result=217.

Best of luck, new students, returning students – all – in the coming semester!