Campus
ramps up non-partisan efforts to increase voter registration, turnout
CORRECTION (September 25, 2024): An error in the
original headline mistakenly listed Hendrix College as the first campus to
affiliate with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. It is one of eight
participating colleges in the state. Hendrix is the first Arkansas campus to affiliate
with College Presidents for Civic Preparedness. We regret the confusion.
CONWAY,
Ark. (September 24, 2024) — With election season in full swing, Hendrix College
is taking steps to ensure students understand the importance of voting and learning
about ways to engage in civic life, now and in the future. The College has
entered multiple affiliations and is holding numerous events to emphasize the importance
of each individual citizen’s participation in democracy.
Campus
Affiliations
Two significant
new affiliations are helping to drive voter registration and engagement on the
Hendrix campus.
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge came to campus at the urging of Warriors
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Jeff Price. While he’s a recent arrival at
Hendrix, Price has long been involved with efforts to increase awareness of
civic participation on college campuses, and many of the teams he has coached
in his career have achieved 100% voter registration.
Since 2016, Price
has served on the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Task Force, a small
group of higher education coaches around the country who assist athletic
programs with civic engagement and voter education. When he lived in Ohio, he
served as an election precinct official and helped students learn about voting
procedures and voting rights, emphasizing the importance of voting in local
elections.
“Most individuals
only vote in the Presidential elections. That is like telling someone you love
basketball, but you only watch during the Olympics, every four years,” Price
says. “Voting is ever so important in the non-presidential years and the down-ballot
elections; those issues are the ones that most often impact on our day-to-day
lives. We get caught up in the Olympic hype for elections when we should
engage every year. That has been one component I discuss with student-athletes.”
“Coach Price has
done great work bringing awareness of civic involvement to our student-athletes
and extending that reach to all of student life,” said Assistant Vice President
for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Donna Eddleman. “Hendrix is grateful to
have so many staff and students who are not only interested in how politics affects
their daily lives, but they also are willing to start and engage in constructive
conversations about these matters. This type of engaged citizenship is a result
of our commitment to linking the classroom with the world, a key component of
the Hendrix Statement of Purpose.”
The second
affiliation is the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness consortium, which is convened by the
Institute for Citizens & Scholars and brings together college presidents
across diverse institutions to advance free expression, civil discourse, and
critical inquiry on their campuses — essential civic norms to prepare students
for democratic life. Hendrix President Karen Petersen was eager to join the
consortium, making Hendrix the first college in Arkansas to affiliate.
“I’m proud to
join this great network of presidents in support of civic preparedness and a
revival of civic engagement across the U.S.,” she said. “Ensuring our campus provides
opportunities for robust dialogue around difficult issues and equipping Hendrix
students to participate fully and effectively as citizens links to our commitment
to educate ‘the whole person.’”
As part of
joining College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, participating institutions
and their leaders agree to these core principles:
- Educating for democracy is central to our mission.
- We will prepare our students for a
vibrant, diverse, and contentious society.
- We will protect and defend free inquiry.
Free Campus
Events
As the election has
drawn closer, several free community events have emerged, including:
Voter
registration drives: In
recent weeks, multiple organizations have held voter registration drives in the
Hendrix Student Life and Technology Center, and Hendrix alumni have been among
the volunteers assisting in these efforts.
“How to Have a
Constructive Conversation Across the Political Aisle”: Braver Angels Arkansas, the state
chapter of the national Braver Angels organization, will
be on campus in the Mills
Center for Social Sciences on Wednesday, September 25, from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.
to share conversation strategies. Braver Angels’ stated goal is not to change
people’s views of issues, but to change their views of each other. This discussion
is part of a Constructive Conversations series sponsored by the Hendrix chapter
of Project Pericles, a consortium that promotes civic
engagement and social responsibility on college campuses.
Candidate
forum: Multiple
organizations affiliated with the Hendrix Office for Diversity and Inclusion,
including Hendrix Students for Black Culture and the Epsilon Alpha Lambda
chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., have come together to sponsor A
Conversation with the Candidates, scheduled for Tuesday, October 8, at 7 p.m.
in Trieschmann Fine Arts Building (number 18 on the current campus map). In addition to having an opportunity to
meet candidates in local elections, attendees will be able to learn more about a
ballot measure regarding new casino licenses and another that deals with how
state scholarship lottery proceeds are allocated.
Democracy
& Civil Discourse series:
Hendrix College’s Olin C. Bailey Library is hosting a series of community
conversations centering on issues of American democracy and the upcoming
election. These hour-long conversations take place at 11:10 a.m. and include
time for small-group discussion. Remaining dates are October 1, 15, 29, and
November 12. The series was inspired by and modeled after Living Room Conversations, an organization that connects people within communities and
across differences through dialogue to build trust and understanding.
Regional
Summit on Democracy
One ticketed
event is also coming to campus: The Pulaski Institution Regional Summit: Place
and Democracy in the Mid-South, will be held the weekend of October 19-20. A
growing list of conference presenters is available on the Institution’s Events page;
tickets are available through EventBrite.
The gathering will take place in Worsham Student Performance Hall in the
Student Life and Technology Center, Building 2 on the current campus map.
About Hendrix
College
Founded in 1876,
Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will
Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s
leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning
opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The
Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more
at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through
engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to
diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community
inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and
joy.” —Hendrix
College Statement of Purpose