A document more than 225 years old gets its own day of recognition on Tuesday with the federal observance of Constitution Day. 

“The importance of Constitution Day is to make sure people know about the Constitution and think about how it impacts their lives; making sure that you understand what your individual liberties are and the way that our government functions,” AP United States History and AP Government teacher Whitney Hill said. “The importance of the Constitution in our everyday lives is simply the fact that our government regulates our lives, and so because we’ve put limitations on our government and we have peculiar individual liberties that are protected, we are assured a certain standard of living because of it.” 

With the adoption of the Constitution dating back to 1787, when the document was signed at the Constitutional Convention, GT Humanities teacher Sarah Wiseman believes the day encourages students to learn more about the building blocks of America. 

“It’s a good day to celebrate the foundations of our country,” GT Humanities teacher Sarah Wiseman said. “I actually think it’s really that it’s really important that the foundation is sort of our founding code and so it’s important for students to understand how our society is built.” 

For Youth and Government officer, sophomore Sanjana Dandu, the Constitution represents values that are still relevant today.

“To me, the Constitution represents what American culture is capable of,” Dandu said. “The seven core principles delineate how Americans view their fundamental rights, which wouldn’t exist if our founding fathers didn’t stand up for what they believed in. Throughout history American culture has changed drastically but one fossilized aspect is that Americans value freedom. Since the Constitution defines any American’s basic rights, I believe that students should definitely know more about its history and current day effects.”