11 a.m.
Event Space - Younger Family Campus Center
"The Constitution viewed through the lens of Sacred Space and Sacred Time" with Tom Yedica
The talk will focus on how the Constitution has been and continues to be interpreted in mythic ways. This is one document that is part of the psychological identity formation of a people, creating social belongingness, and establishing rules for order. Yet beyond that, the Constitution, its founding, its additions, and its deletions follow a historical progression that has become a hallowed story that defines modern interpretation. For better or worse, determining constitutionality today may have less to do with what is written and more to do with what it means for the reader.
Tom Yedica, a social studies teacher at Sheboygan North High School, will deliver Lakeland University’s annual Constitution Day lecture on Thursday, September 17, at 11 a.m. in the Bradley Theatre.
His presentation, “The Constitution Viewed Through the Lens of Sacred Space and Sacred Time,” will explore how the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted not only as a governing document, but also as part of the nation’s collective identity and history.
Yedica will examine the ways the Constitution has taken on a mythic and “hallowed” role in American society, shaping ideas of belonging, order and constitutional interpretation. He will also consider how historical context and individual perspectives influence what the Constitution means and how questions of constitutionality are understood today.
Yedica has worked in public education since 1994 and joined Sheboygan North High School in 1995. Since 1998, he has taught Lakeland courses at North High School, including general and social psychology, Eastern and Western religions, early and recent American history, American government, and constitutional law.
In addition to his work in education, Yedica is a licensed counselor who provides support for individuals dealing with cognitive distortions.
The Constitution Day lecture is free and open to the public.
In 2004, federal legislation designated September 17, the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.
