Kenyon College’s political science student club Paths will host an 18-foot-tall, hand-painted artwork of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution in a free public event on April 28 at Peirce Hall’s dining hall atrium. The event, open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, invites Knox County residents to participate in what organizers describe as a nonpartisan reaffirmation of founding values.
The Paths club, which promotes free speech and political thought, is collaborating with Political Science Professor Michelle S. Mood and Mount Vernon High School students for the national We The People Constitutional Preamble Tour. Grace Williamson, president of Paths, said the group is sponsoring this political but nonpartisan event and has arranged for the scroll to be displayed at Kenyon College’s Peirce Hall.
Local leaders from both major parties are expected to attend and sign the parchment. Gambier Mayor Leeman Kessler and Jarred Christian, Democratic candidate for Ohio’s 12th district, will also make appearances alongside other community figures. Organizers emphasize that no partisan or political activity is permitted; politicians may attend only as private citizens.
Logistical support comes from Cleveland-based See U Next 2sday in partnership with Seattle-based Backbone Campaign. The Ohio segment of the tour began at Cleveland State University Law School on April 11 and has included stops in Dayton and Marietta before arriving in Knox County. After Gambier, the scroll will travel to Columbus for a family festival on May Day before continuing across approximately a dozen communities statewide.
The traveling scroll includes over 150 feet of signable parchment sections that have collected thousands of signatures nationwide. All sections will be displayed together in Washington, D.C., on July 4th as part of a culminating exhibit intended to showcase about 700 feet of signed parchment representing civic participation across the country.
Ohio is noted as the first state to organize a coordinated statewide tour for this project and may serve as a model for others. Kenyon College maintains historic buildings on its rural campus and serves students nationally and internationally; its alumni include notable figures in literature, arts, sciences, and public service according to the official website. The college aims to foster an inclusive community where students thrive intellectually while building strong foundations through rigorous liberal arts education under President Sean Decatur (the organization's website).
