Election initiative spurs voter registration, sparks conversations throughout campus

This fall, Augustana launched Election 2024: Curiosity, Courage and Civility, a new initiative that encourages Augustana students and faculty “to cultivate curiosity, exhibit courage and practice civility during a polarizing season in America,” according to Augustana’s website.

As part of the program, Augustana community members are encouraged to sign a pledge to maintain respect, humility and honesty during the election season. 

The initiative includes a number of events to encourage voter registration, media literacy and  civil conversation, as well as three faculty-led panels on current events.

Augustana President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin said this year’s program builds on “With Malice Toward None,” Augustana’s election initiative in 2020, inspired by Braver Angels, a national bipartisan group that promotes respectful conversation between Republicans and Democrats. 

“With Malice Toward None” included a similar pledge and also aimed to foster bipartisan discussion in response to campus tensions following the 2016 elections.

Herseth Sandlin emphasized the importance of creating environments for people to ask questions without fear of being ostracized.

“If we don’t make an effort, we’re not going to bring walls down, and we’re not going to make the most of what I think we can do in modeling what we want for ourselves,” Herseth Sandlin said.

Jennapher Lunde Seefeldt, associate professor of government and international affairs, will help host a panel on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Oct. 10 and is excited students will be able  to gain reliable information on current issues.

“I think that is a good place for people to get information about these kinds of things as opposed to some tweet,” Lunde Seefeldt said.

Lunde Seefeldt called the civility aspect “necessary” in light of current political divisions and expressed support for the emphasis on curiosity.

“People are advocating for one or another side of the story or piece of legislation or whatever, but why?” Lunde Seefeldt said. “Do we ever actually take the time to learn about what is being said and thought about on the other side?”

Junior Eli Schipper, president of Augustana Democrats, echoed the need for curious conversation between students of every political orientation.

Student-led events like the Voter Registration Walkathon enabled iGNiTE and Augustana Democrats and Republicans to work together as a united community.

“We’re always making sure that Augie Republicans and Augie Dems are right next to each other,” Schipper said. “We want to be close so we’re catching every student – no matter their political belief.”

Schipper said that he wishes the Election 2024 program put more emphasis on  local politics, as opposed to solely focusing on national and international issues.

“I mean, everybody knows it’s Trump versus Kamala Harris for president, but there’s so much more going on here with local initiatives,” Schipper said. “Abortion’s on the ballot in South Dakota, access to weed and Medicaid and all that – things that affect people on campus.”

Republican student and junior Jorgen Hansen who attended Election Coffee and Conversation on Sept. 26 said he too is “heartened” to see the movement toward civility on campus. 

“It’s really important to understand where other people are coming from because when you see those people and you interact with them, you see them as human beings,” Hansen said of communicating with peers of all political alignments.

Election Coffee and Conversation will be hosted twice more on Oct. 24 and Nov. 7.

In addition to events promoting bipartisan discussion, a mental health and wellbeing component new to the program this year encourages students to temporarily take their minds off of politics with meditation and mindfulness sessions every Tuesday at 10 a.m. from Oct. 22 to Nov. 12 in Wagoner Hall’s meditation room and campus green strolls on Oct. 22 and 29 at the same time. 

“I think all of us, even if we don’t realize it, are affected by our news feeds, how we’re consuming updates about the election, what we see posted by people we know and don’t know,” Herseth Sandlin said.

Herseth Sandlin said these events allow students to destress, take a break from social media and talk with people about anything besides politics at a time when “polarization can feel like it’s reaching a fever pitch.”