Dan McCormick
This past weekend I visited the Constitution Center, on Independence Mall in Old City. It’s a museum dedicated to the history of the American Constitution, and it houses exhibits that explain how the Constitution was devised and written, and how it’s been interpreted throughout American history. It’s a pretty cool place; it opened in 2003, so all of it is very new. The building has really interesting architecture, a theater-in-the-round that features a multimedia presentation that includes a live actor and film projections, and interactive exhibits that delve into historical events and Supreme Court cases.
But I must confess: I wasn’t really there for any of that. I was there because the Constitution Center is currently hosting a Bruce Springsteen exhibit, on loan from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’m a Springsteen guy from way back (my dad used to listen to “Born in the U.S.A.” when I was very young and he was driving me places.) Mostly I was interested in things like the handwritten lyrics sheets that were framed on the wall, and less interested in the glass cases full of beat-up guitars, but overall it was very fun. (Sorry, they wouldn’t let me take any pictures.)
The other cool part of the excursion was something called Signers’ Hall. This was a room that replicated the signing of the Constitution, and it had life-size bronze statues of all the signers of the original Constitution. It was very life-like; in fact, it was kind of unsettling, because when I first walked in I kept seeing people move in my peripheral vision and I would think it was a statue moving. But really, it was cool to stand next to Benjamin Franklin and George Washington and pretend to sign the Constitution.
Signers' Hall at the Constitution Center
This next weekend I’ll be taking a road trip back to Hanover to see of two of the ten-minute plays that I wrote last semester – they’re part of the theater department’s student-directed One-Acts Production. It’ll be a long drive (11 hours), but I look forward to seeing some of my friends again. And I suppose it will be interesting to see my plays produced, although I’m kind of nervous about it. In any case, it will be a nice (but probably exhausting) break from Philadelphia life.
And then next week will begin my last month here! I honestly was not prepared for how quickly the semester would go by. I must commit myself to enjoying the nice weather and exploring the city before it’s time for me to go!
