EAST LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Each spring, a small group of seniors at Michigan State University closes out the semester by doing something few students ever attempt: they ratify the U.S. Constitution.
Just weeks before graduation, students in a senior seminar at James Madison College step into the roles of the nation’s founders, turning months of studying political theory into a hands-on recreation of the Constitutional Convention. It’s an exercise that blends history, debate, and collaboration at a moment when these students are preparing to take their next steps beyond campus.
Assistant professor Jordan Cash, who teaches the course, said the experience is designed to connect political theory with political practice.
“As we see in the convention notes, a lot of the issues that they’re dealing with, national security, what makes a citizen, the relationship between the national government and states, separation of powers questions, these are still the fundamental questions of our politics,” Cash said.
Students spend the first half of the semester studying James Madison’s notes before shifting into the simulation. Each is assigned a founder, like James Madison or Benjamin Franklin, complete with a detailed background, motivations, and goals to pursue.
Preparation stretches well beyond the classroom. Graduating senior Alexander Coleman said students build alliances and map out strategies ahead of each session.
“Fortunately, in the absence of letters written by candlelight, we moved to more modern means,” Coleman said. “There are several iMessage group chats. I don’t know if there are any Snapchat group chats, but I would be delighted to find out that there were.”
When class begins, those plans come to life. Structured debates evolve into negotiations, compromises, and votes, as students work toward crafting and ratifying their own version of the Constitution.
For Jac O’Brien, the experience has been both energizing and bittersweet as he prepares to graduate early and begin law school in the fall.
“We have structured debates for each day, people come up, they’re prepared ahead of time,” O’Brien said. “In class, it’s about trying to make deals with people, you vote for this thing, and I’ll vote for that, or to make people compromise between contrasting proposals.”
Beyond reenacting history, the course builds real-world skills. Students practice making arguments, defending ideas, and finding common ground, even in disagreement, all while gaining a deeper understanding of the country’s founding principles.
Taylor Toth, student body president of James Madison College, said the class has strengthened her ability to think critically and argue effectively.
“Even if I’m arguing based on something I don’t agree with, I’m looking at philosophy, I’m looking at law, I’m looking at past precedent,” Toth said. “I think it’s great preparation for law school and honestly, just legal practice in general.”
As graduation approaches, many of the students are heading to law school, graduate programs, and careers in public service. The class not only reflects on the nation’s founding but helps shape the next generation ready to engage with it.
“To understand the constitution in general is to understand the rules of the game,” Cash said. “They can better understand the system that they’re not only living in but also potentially working in and seeking to make a change in.”
This story is part of ongoing coverage marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
