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Throughout October, Western Washington University faculty and visiting speakers will participate in panel discussions on topics relevant to the upcoming election, going beyond the surface on issues such as media literacy, U.S. foreign policy, the environment and immigration.
The Beyond the Surface: Election 2024 series is presented by the Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Education and The Centers for Student Access, Community, & Intercultural Engagement. The Office for Civic Engagement will host voter registration events throughout the series.
The Western student body has a solid voting record — in 2020, 92% of eligible students were registered to vote and 83% of them voted in the general election.
“That’s a fantastic number,” said Kate Destler, WWU associate professor of political science. “Students here are very engaged and hold strong beliefs, but just like all of us, we tend to know a lot about certain issue areas and not a lot about others. Our hope is that with the range of panels and range of topics, we can explore the complex challenges facing our nation and state.”
Panels will be held from 4–5:30 p.m. on the first four Tuesdays in October at Miller Hall 138. While university students are the intended audience, the discussions are also open and free to faculty, staff and the public.
Destler, who is helping plan and organize the series, said she’s looking forward to all the conversations but is especially interested in Testing the Boundaries: Immigration and Border Security Policy on Oct. 15.
“Beyond the awful language and rhetoric around immigration nationally are a set of complex dynamics that impact humans,” Destler said. “I’m excited to see my colleagues raise questions that are deeply important.”
In addition to the panel discussions, every year the Munro Institute hosts a fall seminar focused on policy challenges pertinent to current events. In 2020, the theme was, unsurprisingly, COVID-19; in 2021 it was substance abuse and housing affordability. This year’s seminar on Oct. 28-29 is called “Sustaining Democracy in Polarized Times.”
The series fittingly culminates with a debrief on Nov. 7, two days after the polls close. In the “What Happened? What We Know and What We Don’t” discussion with political science faculty, students and community members will have an opportunity to start to make sense of the election. Staff from the Counseling & Wellness Center will also be in attendance to support students.
For the full schedule of events and list of panelists, visit thecenters.wwu.edu.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
