More than 200 students flooded the front lawn of the president?s home Thursday evening as University of Central Arkansas President Lu Hardin, his wife, Mary, and the Sophomore Year Experience co-hosted a teach-in about this year?s presidential election.
Hardin said he was proud of the exceptional turnout. ?To have over 200 students attend a lecture on a voluntary basis shows that UCA students have an interest in the electoral process. I am very proud of our students, and I would like to see more teach-ins in the future,? he said.
Patches of blankets were arranged across the lawn to form eight stations, each facilitated by a different faculty expert who led a discussion about an issue or topic important to voters. Discussion topics included the economy, education, health care and international relations.
In the 1960s and 1970s, teach-ins were a popular form of protest on college and university campuses and topics ranged from the Vietnam War to civil liberties to the environment. During teach-ins, students and faculty often gathered in a prominent location on the campus and would sit down to discuss controversial topics.
Jayme Millsap Stone, director of learning communities, assisted the Sophomore Year Experience in coordinating the event. She said, ?The importance of this year?s elections gave us the idea to bring back the teach-in and have a discussion about important topics that our students should be informed about, as voters, when they go to the polls.
She continued, ?We felt that our students may not have a clear idea of each candidate?s stance on some of the issues. We invited faculty members who are experts in several different areas to help facilitate discussion among students. Our goal was for students to walk away with the knowledge and information they need to make an informed decision when they vote.?
During the teach-in students and faculty could be heard discussing topics such as the No Child Left Behind Act, outsourcing of jobs, the future of health care and the United States? relations with other countries.
Gwen Young, a graduate student, visited the discussion about health care, which was facilitated by Dr. Elaine Fox, a professor of sociology, who is also a registered nurse and has researched topics related to health care.
Young said she was impressed with Fox?s knowledge. ?I didn?t know how the two candidates stood on health care before I came to this and now I do. I was also impressed with how Dr. Fox gave an unbiased analysis of both candidates.?
Sophomore Autumn Tidwell agreed that the faculty were experts on the issues they discussed. ?I feel better educated now about how both sides feel about the issues,? she said.
Hardin, who along with his wife, Mary, facilitated discussion about the American democracy, said, ?I personally wanted the students to understand the gravity of this election and to help them develop a habit of looking at the candidates in-depth rather than superficialy.?
Dr. Mike Casey, a professor of economics and finance, facilitated the discussion about the economy. He said, ?I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout of students and their genuine interest in the issues. The students were not afraid to speak out and offer their opinions, which made for a great discussion.?
After the teach-in, Stone called the event a success. ?It was exciting and engaging. The faculty were excited about discussing these topics with students who were genuinely interested. In fact, the students were so interested in the topics, the teach-in lasted longer than we expected.
Students who participated in the teach-in did not receive class credit, even so, the turnout was about twice what was expected. ?There was nothing to compel them to come,? Stone said. ?We offered this to students because we wanted them to realize that elections are important, their voice is vital and being informed is critical. If they don?t participate in events like this and they don?t vote or know who to vote for, then they have not accepted their responsibility as educated people.?
Stone said the Sophomore Year Experience, a pilot program that involves students who have been a part of the residential colleges and first-year students, decided to co-host the teach-in as a way to kick-off their academic programs and show their presence on campus.
-Jennifer Boyett
