By: Hannah Owens
At 2 p.m., Sept. 18, in the Shepler Ballroom, Cameron University held a Constitution Day Event presented by District 5
District Attorney Kyla Cabelka.
As required by the Department of Education, all institutions of higher education hold an official observance of
Constitution Day every year. Cameron’s theme for this year centered on “The 5th Amendment – Then and Now.”
Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, is an annual observance in the United States that commemorates the
adoption of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Constitution Day celebrations serve as valuable educational
opportunities for students to learn about the Constitution’s role in shaping the United States and its continued importance in
their lives as citizens.
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects various rights of individuals in legal proceedings. It
includes the right to remain silent and not incriminate oneself, the right to due process of law, protection against double
jeopardy (being tried for the same crime twice) and safeguards against government seizure of private property without just
compensation.
Cabelka has a long-standing career in the District Attorney’s office, starting as a legal intern in Comanche and Cotton
Counties in 2011 and eventually being appointed as the District attorney over Comanche and Cotton counties in 2021.
Cameron University Social Sciences Chair and Professor Lance Janda introduced Cabelka as a Cameron University
graduate.
“He’s a wonderful example of the outstanding graduates that we produce every single year,” Janda said. “You would be
endlessly amazed at the quality of students that come here and the graduates from here that then go on to make meaningful
differences in the community, in the state, in the country and in the world.”
Cabelka started with a brief history of the Constitution, diving into the Constitutional Convention, the Bill of Rights and
the first ten Amendments. He eventually focused on the Fifth Amendment and explained its rights in detail. Cabelka wanted
to make sure the audience understood the rights the Fifth Amendment granted them.
He was able to relate much of the content to his personal and professional life. Cabelka is a District Attorney making the
details of the Fifth Amendment one of his priorities as a criminal prosecutor.
He ended the presentation with a remark about what he hoped the audience would take away.
“I hope you have learned something today,” Cabelka said, “at the very least, you all have maybe been reaffirmed of the
fact that we live in the greatest country in the world, and it’s because of the Constitution.”
This year’s Constitution Day celebration is made possible by the Dr. William L. and Barbara Scearce Endowed
Leadership in Political Science, the CU School of Graduate and Professional Studies, the Department of Social Sciences and
Lawton’s chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
For more information on the event or future Constitution Day Events on campus please contact Social Sciences
Department Chair and Professor Dr. Lance Janda at ljanda@cameron.edu.