We are Emily, Hannah, and Anya, and we are fellows with the Straayer Center for Public Service Leadership at CSU. We have had the privilege to serve as student organizers for the Democracy Thematic Year — an ongoing celebration of democracy in action! Keep reading to hear about our work this year and learn how to get involved with the Democracy Summit this April 8-12!
International Day of Democracy – our thematic year kickoff
We began the year by supporting the Democracy Thematic Year Kickoff on the plaza. We loved how this event engaged students and community members from all backgrounds. During the celebration, we collected one-word responses about how democracy shows up in students’ lives. Folks shared words like representation, community, and voice alongside complicated, bias, and exclusion. The diversity of responses showed us that students feel conflicted about democracy. We began searching for ways to authentically engage with the student body around this complex concept.
For example, young people are often discouraged from participating in local politics, even though local policy decisions impact our lives most directly. Our team responded by sharing crucial election information with students, from local candidates to ballot information and polling locations. We worked with our amazing graphic designer, Elise, to create social media resources about the ballot, and we collaborated with nonprofits to host a series of events around the election, including a city council candidate forum and a learning session about statewide ballot measures. Taking action on local issues is an empowering way for students to participate in democracy.
Democracy in the Classroom & Activism Expo
Next, we explored how democracy shows up in the classroom. We visited democracy capstone classes from five departments in the College of Liberal Arts and collected responses from students about their experiences. About 92% of students said that the capstones had challenged or expanded their thinking about democracy. At the same time, we noticed themes of disillusionment in students’ conversations about democracy. Many students feel cynical about our current political situation and are interested in exploring alternative forms of governance. Students pinpointed ideas for improving our democracy, like public involvement, solidarity between groups, and empathy for those with different beliefs. These themes were highlighted in the CLA capstone celebration we organized in December, where capstone students shared their projects and reflected on the semester.
We started the spring with a creative idea to bring students together around local issues through a Valentine’s Day Student Activism Expo. We coordinated with leaders from 16+ organizations connected to CSU and the greater Northern Colorado area, and we invited students from across the university to attend. This event was a fantastic way to spark student involvement because participants had the opportunity to explore their interests while networking with organizers in the field. The success of the expo confirmed that CSU students are excited about living their democratic values through action. Connecting with activists, organizers, and civic professionals shows students that they too can take action on the issues that impact their lives.
Now we’re looking forward to the Democracy Summit this April 8-12. We are working with faculty and staff to drive student engagement by proactively reaching out to students who might be interested in the exciting events that make up the Summit. Our goal is to engage students from all departments and backgrounds.
The Summit features a keynote with producer and comedian W. Kamau Bell on race and democracy. There’s also two film screenings and dozens of panels throughout the week on topics like environmental justice, Indigenous democracy, multifaith engagement, labor, and more.
The Fellows are running a creative workshop for students around the concept of rights. What does it mean to hold rights, and why are they important? What happens when our rights are threatened? We are excited to bring this topic to life through art and writing on Thurs., April 11.
We invite you all to join us for the Summit.
The university is the ideal space to hold challenging conversations about democracy, but this only works when students are equally involved. Students hold different perspectives on democracy than our older friends. We believe it is critically important for students to be part of the ongoing conversation about democracy, and we hope to have moved closer to this goal through our work with the Straayer Center. We’ll see you at the Summit!