American Democracy Week commenced on Monday, Sept. 8, and will run through Saturday. Professor Tim Hill, one of the event’s planners, expressed enthusiasm for the diverse activities scheduled throughout the week.
“I’m genuinely excited about every day on the calendar,” Hill said. “We’ve worked hard to build a week of interesting and thematically related events, and I’m jazzed to give the community a chance to be a part of them.”
The week features an event each day, except for Friday, all centered on the theme of “the role of information in making American democracy work and the significant problems posed by misinformation and disinformation,” according to Hill. The organizing team aims to provide context and insights into the current political landscape, with some events addressing specific issues facing democracy, while others are designed to be more engaging and entertaining.
The week began with a screening of the documentary “Trust Me” on Monday evening, followed by a Q&A session on “What’s Happening in Washington?” at East/West Dining on Tuesday. Wednesday will host an artist reception at Nyrop Hall from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and Thursday will feature a propaganda workshop from 12 to 1 p.m. at East/West Dining. The final event of the week, a trivia night corresponding with Dine:09, will take place on Saturday at Lakeside.
Hill emphasized the importance of this initiative. “We want it to be a chance for the Doane community to remember why democracy is important and worth fighting for,” Hill said. He co-founded this week of events in 2021 with Professor Amanda Irions to celebrate American democracy and address the challenges it faces. Hill, along with Professor Irions and Sara Hinds, are involved in the behind-the-scenes planning of this significant event.
“Democracy is a topic that is never unworthy of discussion, but at our current moment, when many experts believe American democracy is backsliding significantly, it is especially important,” Hill said.
