Standing in the center of the cafeteria, President Luis Sanchez gave a short lesson on the Constitution to mark the 228th anniversary of its adoption, on Friday Sept 18.

Although, seemingly impromptu and informal to most observers, Sanchez planned the whole thing, citing the importance of the document and its relevance to students.

“It’s a document that is vitally important for us to have information about,” Sanchez said.

Instead of simply lecturing about the back-story and details of the document, he engaged with 150 students or faculty asking them questions about the Constitution.

He began by describing the purpose of the document and how, although it isn’t perfect, it guarantees basic rights to the citizens of the United States and how it gives students many rights they take for granted.

He read the Preamble and Bill of Rights to the gathering and showed its relevance to students by using student-run clubs as examples of organizations that operate through those very principles.

Even though he talked about the Constitution, it seemed more like a community discussion rather something formal between students and professors. That attitude was perhaps best displayed at the end, when he proposed a toast.

“If you’ve got anything in your hand raise it as a toast to the Constitution of the United States,” Sanchez said, raising his water bottle into the air as students and faculty followed. “Long may it live and long may it thrive.”