Residential College symposium
Students assemble, debate global issues
By Scott Van Pelt
Writer
For those thinking the University is a politically stagnant campus, last Saturday’s election symposium would’ve come as a surprise.
The symposium, sponsored by the Residential College program, was virtually an all-day event, providing presentations, group discussions and even a mock Athenian assembly.
The day started in the Elaine Langone Center forum with comments by Dean of Students Susan Hopp.
“This is overwhelming,” Hopp said. “It’s democracy in action.”
Chief of Staff David Myers urged the audience to never grow cynical about government, and to participate at whatever level they could.
“Public service is a calling,” Myers said.
Following the opening comments, students and faculty moved to Coleman Hall to give presentations on relevant political issues. Some groups talked about oil, water conservation and globalization, while others went the route of poetry, political cartoons and rhetoric.
One group, supervised by Assistant Professor of English Alf Siewers, discussed the role of presidents as communicators and how forms, such as letter and speech writing, have fallen by the wayside over the decades.
After presentations, groups moved to Davis Gym where other students of the residential colleges discussed projects with interested passers-by.
Rose Denning ’12, stood in front of a display advertising a “World Peace” platform. Denning, whose project centered on gun control, said the crowd had been receptive to the numerous projects around the gym.
Another project, created by the members of Professor of Theatre Elaine Williams’ “Masks and Meaning” class, featured masks representing important political issues made by the class.
One such mask—orange and brown, with tree roots growing from the scalp—addressed the idea of environmentalism and human involvement in nature. The projects, more than simple political symbols, were also very expressive.
The last main activity of the afternoon, the Athenian assembly, gave students the chance to dress up as ancient Greeks.
For Kelly Finley, program coordinator of the residential colleges, the mock assembly had relevance for modern day voters.
“We’re demonstrating the power of the vote,” Finley said, harkening back to Myers’ insistence on political participation at even the smallest levels.
