From Text to Artifact: Teaching the Constitution in the Renovated Posner Center
By Sarah Bender
Associate Professor of History Scott Sandage is no stranger to the 麻豆村 .
For several years now, he’s used the resources in the collections — specifically a of the , one of only five extant copies — as a tool to help students engage more deeply in his course “U.S. Constitution and the Presidency.” Sandage’s class examines specific powers granted to the president by the Constitution, and how presidents like Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt expanded the powers of the presidency. The Bill of Rights is central to the class.
But with the reopening of the newly renovated Posner Center in fall 2025, the experience of teaching — and learning — with Special Collections has taken on new depth. The updated space enabled Sandage to build a layered, immersive experience — one that brought students back multiple times to learn from experts, examine rare materials up close, and actively debate the Constitution’s meaning.
Engaging with Experts
As he scheduled his first class session in the refreshed Posner Center, Sandage decided to invite Duquesne University President and Professor of Law , a renowned constitutional scholar, to deliver a lecture in the space.
“Dr. Gormley is the author of many books of Constitutional history, including a textbook that I’ve used in class for many years. He’s also interviewed all the living presidents about the Constitution, and was the research assistant to Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox,” Sandage said. “It was a great opportunity for the students to be able to engage with him, specifically around this historical document.”
Gormley spoke to the class about impeachment, immunity, and pardons. Students then had the opportunity to ask questions, delving deeper into topics like perjury and the Clinton impeachment.
“Honestly, the visit was just really impressive,” said Dietrich College junior Zach Berger. “I loved getting to see such a talented lecturer utilize the new space.”
Tactile Access
After Gormley’s lecture, Sandage’s class returned to the Posner Center a second time — this time, to take a closer look at the document itself. Now, rather than focusing on the text they learned about over the course of the semester, they had a chance to examine the physical object and the clues it reveals about the past.
“It was amazing getting the chance to see the Bill of Rights copy in person, which contributed greatly to my own understanding of the realities of our founding fathers working with such a document,” said sophomore Jace Parks. “Understanding how someone of the past may have read this printing to make sense of this new government was very helpful to bring physicality to what we were learning.”
Dietrich College fifth-year senior Mateo Ruiz-Leal agreed. “I found it really meaningful to see the wear and tear on the document, since it made its historical significance feel even more tangible,” he said.
For Sandage, another benefit to the visit was Lemley’s own expertise. “Dr. Lemley is a born teacher,” he said. “He’s gifted at explaining, not only historical details, but technical things about the way the document was printed, the way it was bound, the physical clues of the paper itself. His presentations have added so much beyond just the dazzle and magic of seeing the item itself.”
A Space Designed for Learning
Sandage’s students didn’t leave once they had a chance to view the document. Instead, they settled in for a “Constitutional Convention,” a final presentation of their own revisions to the Constitution based on what they learned in class.
After serving as a lecture hall and a hands-on lab, the flex classroom space now became the site of group presentations and discussions. Students proposed and defended their changes to the document, drawing on lessons from throughout the semester.
Many students plan to return and explore other Posner Center offerings in the future.
“The Posner Center had been a mystery to me, since it was under construction the entirety of my freshman year. When Professor Sandage said we were going to have a class there and see a copy of the Bill of Rights, to say I was excited would be an understatement,” said Dietrich College sophomore Hannah Na. “The Posner Center did not disappoint, and as someone who already planned to visit the Open Stacks events and see Harold Cohen's work, I was glad that the Posner Center would be used to archive and preserve items of history.”
“I would love to visit the Posner Center again to see more exhibits like this,” added School of Computer Science sophomore Conor Gaul.
The Posner Center for Special Collections is open to visitors Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extended hours from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays to view the exhibition (the reading room is closed during this time). Community members can also book a research appointment or a class visit by contacting Special Collections.