Sept. 9 through 14 was American Democracy Week at Doane. The week is an annual event that helps the students at Doane understand American democracy more and understand one another when it comes to democratic beliefs.
The first day of American Democracy Week was titled “Book Club Discussion” and featured students and faculty from Doane gathering together in the East/West Dining Hall to discuss some of the articles that were sent out.
“Each year we’re trying to find new ways to reach people,” Assistant Professor of Communication Dr. Amanda Irions said.
The event was structured as a moderated discussion, and some of the questions included “What is your fondest memory of democracy?” and “What was the most important idea/surprising thing about American democracy in the works you read?”
On the second day of American Democracy Week, the organizers invited a speaker, Jean McGuire from the League of Women Voters of Nebraska. According to their website, the League of Women Voters is a “nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.”
McGuire came to Doane to simplify the language on the ballot for new voters and people who had questions about what voting “for” or “against” the measures on each ballot would mean. McGuire also taught the people in attendance how to read proposed initiatives on the ballot.
McGuire also broke down the initiatives on the ballot and how they would interact. In the case of abortion, there are two competing initiatives on the ballot, one that expands abortion access and one that restricts it.
Later that night, American Democracy Week also hosted a Presidential Debate Watch Party, which showed people the difference between debate and dialogue.
On Day 4 of American Democracy Week, there was a trio of speakers: Professor of Political Science Dr. Tim Hill, Dr. Irions and Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Brian Powells. All three talked about the same central point, why constituents should vote.
“We vote because we care about what happens next,” Dr. Hill said.
Another overall aspect of American Democracy Week that carried through the whole week was getting people registered to vote. American Democracy Week was set up in Lakeside and at the Gray Desk to help people get registered to vote.
American Democracy Week ended on Saturday with a trivia night about American democracy. The winning team, named “Noble Team,” a reference to “Halo: Reach,” consisted of sophomore Johnathan Schmidt and sophomore Gracie Stansbury.
Emphasizing how American democracy works was very important this year because it is a major election year, one that’s more divisive than almost any other in American history.
