American River College held its annual Constitution Day event on Sept. 17, which celebrated the formation and signing of our Constitution.

The event was hosted by the Center for Leadership and Development and also had an information booth on the Constitution, as well as a selection of food for ARC students looking to join in on the celebration.

Four members of the CLD chaired the event, and read the Preamble of the Constitution aloud every hour.

“It’s a great event to raise awareness about the U.S. and its origin,” said event member Lariza Barcena, 23, an Anthropology major who is currently minoring in Global Studies.

During the event, students were given the opportunity to engage in questionnaires and factoids that shed light on the top legal document of the U.S.

Members of the student body who attended were treated to a buffet consisting of barbecued hot dogs, chocolate chip cookies, potato chips and soda.

Music from American singers and songwriters were played during the four-hour event, featuring a throwback to ’70s and ’80s musical jams.

While a plethora of students found themselves familiar with many of the founding origins of the Constitution, they were excited to learn about the more personal implications our nation was founded upon.

“We’re promoting awareness of the law and the basic principles that rule our society,” said Rachel Damiano, 23, who majors in Sociology.

Information on civil liberties, all well as discussions relating them to the present day, were readily discussed throughout the event.

The event drew the attention of many ARC students, so much so that even the event’s organizers were caught off guard by the number of students that attended.

“We were pleasantly surprised by the turnout,” said Damiano.  “A lot of people were eager to take our questionnaires and learn more about their country, which was extremely exciting.”

According to Barcena, ARC has celebrated Constitution Day since  2011.