Hauenstein events celebrate Constitution Day

The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies will host two events that celebrate Constitution Day.

On Wednesday, September 17, two Michigan politicians will debate the presidential nominees at 7 p.m. in Loosemore Auditorium of the DeVos Center. Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, supports Barack Obama's candidacy, while veteran Republican politician G.J. Rusty Hills supports John McCain.

Thomas is a second-term member in the Michigan Senate, serving the state's Fourth District. He is one of the few Michigan legislators who has held leadership positions in both houses of the Michigan legislature. Hills is the communications director for Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, teaches at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, and serves as chancellor and founder of Holy Spirits Institute, a non-profit educational venture in Lansing.
On Thursday, September 18, E. J. Dionne, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington Post columnist, and commentator on NPR, CNN, and NBC's "Meet the Press," will deliver a keynote address about the revival of civil society in America. 

"Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role," will be held at 7 p.m., at St. Cecilia Music Society, at 24 Ransom St. in Grand Rapids. The event is free and open to the public. Advocates for Senior Issues, is co-sponsoring the event, with a grant from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. A community and student panel will conclude the event.

For information on either event, call the Hauenstein Center at (616) 331-2770 or visit www.allpresidents.org .