For most College of Charleston students, Nov. 3, 2020, will be the first time they’ll be eligible to vote in a presidential election.
With that in mind, many groups across the College, including the Bully Pulpit Series and the student organization Cougar Votes, will host Cougar Campaign 2020, a series of programs and activities designed to motivate student interest, enhance student knowledge and spark student action in the critical conversations that surround this election season.
“Promoting civic involvement has always been important at the College of Charleston,” says Amanda Ruth McSwain, interim associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and director of the Bully Pulpit Series. “Regardless of political ideology, students need to have opportunities to connect with political, social and economic issues as well as interact with others that challenge their thoughts and feelings. This is not simply a presidential election season, but an opportunity to advance the discussion on what it means to exercise the responsibilities and privileges of living in a democracy.”
One of the highlights of this initiative will be a virtual Constitution Day program on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, titled “We the People: A Critical Conversation on Racial Justice.” The 6 p.m. event will feature MSNBC commentator Alaina Beverly. Beverly is an expert in urban policy, politics, civil rights and community mobilization with over 15 years of experience in strategic planning, government relations, stakeholder engagement and program management.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the historic College of Charleston’s celebration of Constitution Day,” says Beverly. “We are at an inflection point on issues of racial justice in our nation. It’s an important time to discuss the principles of our founding documents and the application of those principles to our current realities.”
The free event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams.
The importance of the Cougar Campaign 2020 initiative is communicated through the collaborative efforts of multiple offices across campus including the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library, the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Race and Social Justice Initiative, the Office of Student Life, The Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities and the 250th Anniversary Committee.
Other Cougar Campaign 2020 programs and events include the following:
- Sept. 29, 8 p.m. (Zoom/Kahoot, https://bit.ly/32F7gZS) Tuesday Trivia: Test Your Presidential Knowledge
- Oct. 7, 4 p.m., tentative date (Microsoft Teams) Virtual Town Hall with Congressman Joe Cunningham
- Oct. 14, 4 p.m. (Microsoft Teams, https://bit.ly/2FIkigb) Virtual Town Hall with Representative Nancy Mace
- Oct. 22, 11 a.m. (Microsoft Teams, https://bit.ly/35JmqyW) Divided We Fall: Civility in Political Debate
- Oct. 27, 8 p.m. (Zoom/Kahoot, https://bit.ly/32F7gZS) Tuesday Trivia: Test Your Congressional Knowledge
- Nov. 3, 4 p.m. (Zoom, https://bit.ly/33BThmT) The 2020 Presidential Election: Conjectures and Consequences (Part I)
- Nov. 10, 4 p.m. (Zoom, https://bit.ly/33BThmT) The 2020 Presidential Election: Conjectures and Consequences (Part II)
