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Issue Issue #4 #4 || Fall Fall 2020 2020
Embracing a Digital World The The Eugene Eugene J. J. McCarthy McCarthy Center Center for for Public Public Policy Policy and and Civic Civic Engagement Engagement Serving Serving the the College College of of Saint Saint Benedict Benedict and and Saint Saint John's John's University University
Photo provided by Sheila Hellermann
Director's Note Edward L. Henry Professor Dr. Matt Lindstrom
"Despite the Covid-19 limitations, the McCarthy Center continues to support students through our mentor program, numerous lectures and panels, undergraduate research and civic volunteer opportunities, social media engagement, and, finally, through a robust voter engagement effort centered on the 2020 elections."
The McCarthy Center is located on the first floor of Simons Hall (pictured above) on the St. John's University Campus
Is 2020 over yet? Some may say…. As the fall semester wraps up at CSB/SJU, the McCarthy Center is pleased to present this magazine. Despite the Covid-19 limitations, the McCarthy Center continues to support students through our mentor program, numerous lectures and panels, undergraduate research and civic volunteer opportunities, social media engagement, and, finally, through a robust voter engagement effort centered on the 2020 elections. This fall the McCarthy Center is pleased to welcome Victoria M. Evens as our first-ever Civic Fellow. Evens is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota-Morris and brings a rich liberal arts background to the McCarthy Center as well as many skills and a wonderful positive, creative mindset. The 2020-21 student leadership of the McCarthy Center is among our finest. They represent diverse majors, ages, professional interests, and political ideologies. As the articles in this magazine illustrate, the work of the McCarthy Center team inspires and engages students in a variety of ways. As this magazine illustrates, things haven’t slowed down with the McCarthy Center. Dr. Christi Siver, Joseph P. Farry Professor of Political Science, continues to bring not only awareness of global and local policy issues but also direct opportunities for students to get involved. This includes research and volunteer opportunities related to the 19th amendment and women’s suffrage as well as the U.S. Census and the 2020 elections. MCCARTHY MAGAZINE | 2
https://www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
The 2020 elections resulted in historic voter turnout across the country, including among CSB and SJU students. With the CSB/SJU Votes Coalition and their many partners, student enthusiasm led to extensive support for students to get registered, get informed, and get to the polls or mailboxes. The 14th annual McCarthy Lecture with Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson was the first major campus event this fall. One benefit of doing the event online is people could watch from wherever in the world. As a result, we had a big online crowd of CSB/SJU community members and friends from afar. If you missed the talk or would like to hear again, go to the McCarthy Center YouTube page where almost all our events are viewable. We are grateful for all the support we receive from so many of you. Your encouragement, involvement and ideas help us improve and keep us going, especially during these challenging times. Thank you! DR. MATT LINDSTROM Director
Inside:
Pictured left to right: Bernie Donlon '22, Colin Yokanovich '21, Valerie Doze '21, Grace Savard '22, Faith Gronda '22
Students sport their VOTE t-shirts to promote voting on election day. Read more on page 21!
www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
Director Dr. Matt Lindstrom
Born in Willmar, MN, Dr. Matt Lindstrom graduated from St. John's University with a BA in Government. He received a PhD in Political Science from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff in 1997. Lindstrom now serves as the Edward L. Henry Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement. In addition to his service to the McCarthy Center, Dr. Lindstrom is the co-director for the CSB/SJU Summer Leadership Fellows Program and has codirected for the CSB/SJU Washington D.C. Summer Study Program. He co-authored The National Environmental Policy Act: Judicial Misconstruction, Legislative Indifference, and Executive Neglect, (Texas A & M University Press) and co-edited Suburban Sprawl: Culture, Ecology, and Politics (Rowan and Littlefield). His essay, "What's a Bus Ticket Got to do with my Political Science Class" won a "Best Paper Award" from the American Political Science Association.
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CONTENTS
MCCARTHY EVENTS Russian Hackers, Trolls, and #DemocracyRIP
6
Hope in the Struggle
8
Anti-Racism Series
11
I'm Glad You Asked: Intersectionality
14
ELECTION 2020
PROGRAMMING Embracing a Digital World
Q&A with Senator Tina Smith
16
The Importance of CSB/SJU Votes
18
Collaboration with Student Leaders
19
Election Day at CSB/SJU
20
Promotion: Collaborating with Local Artists
21
5
Joseph P. Farry Professorship
10
Civic Fellowship
15
Mentor Program
22
Meet our Student Coordinators
24
Visit
WWW.CSBSJU.EDU/MCCARTHY-CENTER
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https://www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
EMBRACING A DIGITAL WORLD WRITTEN BY VICTORIA M. EVENS, CIVIC FELLOW Graduating college in the middle of a pandemic is terrifying: plans change, opportunities are lost, employers hesitate to hire. Like many 2020 graduates, I moved out of my college apartment with a day's notice. I packed up my textbooks and my cat and moved home. I spent the last few months of my college experience troubleshooting video calls, fighting migraines, and recording a virtual senior recital from my parents' basement. As my cohort of liberal arts students parted ways digitally, we were tossed into an unpredictable and uncertain job market. We searched for remote work and part-time essential jobs as our dream interviews were postponed and internships were canceled. Plans changed, and so we adapted. 2020 will always be a year that we remember for the challenges we have all faced during this pandemic. From financial struggles to loss of loved ones to physical and mental health concerns, many of us have been impacted greatly by the pandemic. As the virus persists, we have become an everexpanding digital world. Most of us found a new routine in zoom meetings, working and schooling from home, and ordering groceries online. Email signatures replace handshakes, we take our coffee breaks in the living room, and we search for ways to stay engaged and connected with each other despite the distance.
Victoria M. Evens, Civic Fellow
Victoria M. Evens hails from Cold Spring, Minnesota. A distinguished graduate of the University of MN, Morris, Evens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and gender/women/sexuality studies. She was named the 2020 recipient of the Mimi Frenier Award, recognizing high academic achievement and political, social, and civic activism. During her studies, Evens served the UMM Concert Choir as alto section leader and vice president. Evens currently resides in central Minnesota as a research intern for the Boulanger Initiative and Civic Fellow for the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement. She strives to pursue a career in music as a professor and writer.
I am one of the lucky ones. I found an opportunity with the McCarthy Center where I can work safely at home while interacting with students, colleagues, and guests virtually. We found ways to connect with students and community members through webinars, digital Q&As, and social media. We embraced a digital world to reach students where they are at, maintaining our goal to promote civic engagement during a global pandemic. It is my pleasure to have been a part of this demanding, yet fulfilling semester with the McCarthy Center team.
www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
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14th Annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture with Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson
Russian Hackers, Trolls and #DemocracyRIP Written by Elliot Edeburn '21
On September 25, the McCarthy Center had the great privilege and honor of welcoming Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson to deliver the 14th annual McCarthy Lecture in a virtual format. Dr. Jamieson is a Professor of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communication and director of the University’s public policy center. Her extensive achievements include winning multiple awards for her sixteen authored or co-authored books and the National Academy of Science’s most prestigious award, the Public Welfare Medal. Dr. Jamieson offered a deeply engaging and thoughtful lecture as she discussed her most recent book Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President. A graduate of Saint Benedict’s High School in St. Joseph, Minnesota, Kathleen Hall Jamieson started by reminiscing on her many ties to the Saint John's and Saint Ben’s community. She recalled the beautiful fall season as well as campaigning for Eugene McCarthy during his bid for the 1968 Democratic nomination for President.
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Pictured above: Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson
Dr. Jamieson’s lecture revolved around the central question: What can we learn about how foreign powers can influence our elections and us as voters? She encouraged the audience to recognize that her analysis of election interference is not a history lesson, but an analysis of tactics that continue to threaten our democracy today. She has the unique gift of synthesizing complex issues into palatable yet detailed analyses and pointed out that Russians wanted to make the United States look bad however they could, which is problematic regardless of political affiliation. In order to influence the 2016 election, Russians utilized several tactics: media sources, social media trolls, breaching election infrastructure, and sewing doubt in electoral integrity.
She outlined the specific goals of Russian election influencers such as demobilizing black voters through the propagation of misinformation and shifting young voters to vote for Jill Stein. Dr. Jamieson also outlined failures of the press to convey accurate information as the inundation of hacked materials and urge to release news quickly often resulted in the spread of inaccurate information through traditionally trusted media outlets. After concluding her lecture, McCarthy Center Student Coordinator Laurel Poole ’21 facilitated an engaging question and answer session for members of the virtual audience to explore other areas, including how race and gender dynamics manifested themselves within the Russian election interference. Additionally, Dr. Jamieson told listeners about the ways that Russian interference sought to influence the 2020 election as Russian sources frequently denigrate Joe Biden, question the integrity of mail-in voting, and seek to hack critical election infrastructure. Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson is an admirable model of courage and conscience in public life. In the lead-up to an election that will deeply influence the trajectory of the United States, her lecture helps us to understand the critical importance of electoral integrity and the democratic process as we move forward together.
www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
Free copies of Dr. Jamieson's book were available for students and community members in preparation for this event
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Hope in the Struggle written by Carolina Apaez '21
Every year, the McCarthy Center Residency highlights the work of extraordinary individuals in public service, policy, and politics. For the 13th annual residency, the McCarthy Center eagerly welcomed the civil rights champion, Dr. Josie Johnson. Throughout her career, Dr. Johnson has vigorously fought to dismantle the systemic racism in Minnesota. Her tenacious character led her to work with many organizations, including the League of Women Voters, NAACP, Minneapolis Urban League, and Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. A trailblazer in her field, Dr. Johnson also became the first Black woman on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents.
I first met Dr. Johnson the morning of what was supposed to be the first day of the Spring Residency back in early March. The news of COVID-19 was starting to seep in, and due to clear health reasons, the residency was postponed. However, during my brief encounter with Dr. Johnson, we bonded over our similarities growing up; We both were born and raised in Houston, TX and later moved to a city in Minnesota. As Dr. Johnson recounted her first time in Minneapolis, it became clear to me that the Minnesota she experienced was completely different from what we know today. She recalls the deeply-seated racism that African Americans faced; including being denied the right to vote, holding a political office, and even serving on juries. Dr. Johnson gives a greater insight into these limitations of justice and her fight for fairness in her memoir, Hope in the Struggle.
13th Annual McCarthy Center Residency with Dr. Josie Johnson MCCARTHY MAGAZINE Â |Â 8
www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
"Growing up in a home and community that taught me the value that our ancestors place on education and service... helped create a tireless desire to be deeply involved with the struggle of my people." - Josie Johnson
Prior to Dr. Johnson's original arrival, the McCarthy Center hosted a book club featuring Dr. Johnson's memoir, which was open to all of the CSB/SJU community. A variety of the CSB/SJU community made up the book club; staff, professors, and students were all eager to learn about and meet Dr. Johnson. A common theme throughout Dr. Josie's memoir that the book club resonated with was the importance of teaching African American history and making it part of our community. She mentions in her memoir, "growing up in a home and community that taught me the value that our ancestors place on education and service... helped create a tireless desire to be deeply involved with the struggle of my people." Dr. Johnson's words proved to be true. The week prior to the book club discussion, the United States House of Representatives passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. In late October, Dr. Josie Johnson came to back to CSBSJU virtually at an even more crucial time. The CSB/SJU community was adjusting to the new virtual reality all while mourning the deaths of George Floyd & Breonna Taylor. It was during all of this grief and chaos that Dr. Johnson's message was even more compelling. She graciously offered her way of remembering her own prayer about hope in the struggle, "I have friends who keep reminding me of the need to continue to have faith and my children and grandchildren offer me that because they are all engaged in one way or the other in the struggle of their ancestors." Dr. Johnson's work continues to remind us to challenge ourselves and continue fighting for civil rights.
www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
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JOSEPH P FARRY PROFESSORSHIP Dr. Christi Siver, Political Science
Dr. Christi Siver, political science, holds the Joseph P. Farry Professorship with the McCarthy Center. As an associate professor at the College of Saint Benedict/ Saint John's University, Siver works with debate programming to engage members of the CSB/SJU community in civic and civil discourse on public policy issues. She received a Ph.D in Political Science from the University of Washington in 2009 and earned an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 2002. In addition to her service to CSB/SJU, Siver co-directs high school programming for the Women's Debate Institute, advocating for a more gender inclusive environment in debate.
WRITTEN BY SHEILA HELLERMAN, DEPARTMENT AND PROGRAM COORDINATOR Fall 2020 was an active time for the Farry Professor! With assistance from the McCarthy Center and the Political Science department, we hosted events related to racial justice, women’s rights, the election, and promoted civic engagement through Census outreach and voter education. In October, Crystal Diaz, CSB POLS major hosted a panel on policing, “What should policing look like?” with professors Mary Clifford and Shawn Williams from St. Cloud State University, Natalie Ringsmuth of Unite Cloud, and Malik Stewart. Inspired by that event, we partnered with ELAC (Exploring Latin American Cultures); Belen Dominguez hosted a panel on “Why should Latinos vote?” featuring POLS professor Jim Read, CSBSJU alum Edwin Torres, who is the Political Director for Tina Smith, and Emilia Gonzalez, Executive Director of Unidos Minnesota. At the request of the Secretary of State and Leadership Group of CSB/SJU, we organized, along with the Political Science Department, a joint event with the St. Cloud State University POLS department for an educational event for our communities. “Understanding the Election” discussed the likely delays in election results, given the high number of absentee ballots. Wrapping up after the election, we cohosted “Processing the Election Results (or lack thereof)” featuring members of the Political Science Department. We also organized two signature events for the CSB President’s Office celebration of 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. We hosted Anya Jabour for a presentation “Claiming Rights, Championing Reform: Sophonisba Breckinridge, Women's Suffrage, and Social Welfare.” We
also hosted a lecture (rescheduled from Spring 2020) “Parades, Pickets, and Prison: Embodied Arguments for Women’s Suffrage, 1913-1919,” by Dr. Cate Palczewski. To celebrate Veterans Day, Jerri Bell, author of It’s My Country Too: Women’s Military Stories from the Revolutionary War to Afghanistan discussed the struggles as well as progress of women in the military, focusing on the importance of telling your story. The Farry Professor also took over the Census Outreach phone banking operation from the State of Minnesota in October. Along with the Minnesota Foundation, volunteers, including CSB/SJU students, raised awareness about the importance of the Census and helped people find the online form. When Census counting ended, we shifted focus to voter education, helping people make a plan to vote.
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ANTI-RACISM SERIES
TED Talk Thursday Hope in the Struggle: Interview with Dr. Josie Johnson In Conversation with Ibram X. KendI ELAC Anti-Blackness in the Latino Community with Rosa Clemente Decolonization in Action: Service and Research with Native Nations at CSB/SJU
Written by Sydney Richter '23
More than ever before, this year was a year of creating positive change at St. John's University and College of St. Benedict. CSB and SJU Student Senate’s Call to Action, the murder of George Floyd, and the incredible media emergence of Black Lives Matter prompted student coordinators at the Eugene J. McCarthy Center to take a step back and brainstorm how we can contribute to the conversation. Two ideas were formed: an anti-racism series to promote education and healthy dialogue about race, and a diversity and inclusion mission statement. The anti-racism series prompted multiple events over the course of the fall semester and engaged students, faculty, staff, alum, and members of the greater community in a plethora of different topics surrounding race. The diversity and inclusion mission statement will be launched in the spring semester of 2021 and will be implemented into the McCarthy Center’s longstanding mission statement.
www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
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Ibram X. Kendi and Anti-Racism Just a few weeks prior to bringing Ibram X. Kendi himself to campus via zoom, we hosted a TED Talk Thursday to discuss his TED Talk and the difference between being “not-racist” and antiracist. The attendees included a diverse group of over 40 Bennies, Johnnies, faculty, staff, and members of the community who were all eager to learn and discuss. Heather Pieper-Olson, Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement, moderated
"What we say about race, what we do about race, in each moment, determines what -- not who -we are.” - Ibram X. Kendi
the discussion and led the event to success. It prompted great discussion and lot of learning.
Anti-Blackness in the Latino Community with Rosa Clemente At the end of October, we co-partnered with the African Student Association (ASA) to support Exploring Latin American Cultures (ELAC) in their event with organizer, political commentator, and independent journalist Rosa Clemente. Clemente is an Afro-Puerto Rican born and was raised in the Bronx, NY. Her entire life has been dedicated to organizing, scholarship, and activism. The event included a keynote speech and Q&A with the special guest on the topic of antiblackness in the Latino community, bringing awareness and validation to the Afro-Latino identity, and bringing light to how AfroLatinos are often marginalized in the conversation and image of latinidad. She explained to students that we must not only push for a decolonization of our land but also of our minds. President of ELAC, Belen
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Dominguez, said in reflection “Rosa was so wise, and I definitely learned a lot, but one of the most eye-opening comments she made is that until we learn about white supremacy, we know nothing. As protest breaks out across the country to end police brutality and demand police accountability, our society has become divided on the hardships faced by African-Americans. Some believe that racism, discrimination, and oppression no longer exist because slavery was abolished over a century ago and Black people got their civil rights. However, racism and oppression are systemic and until we understand how slavery and oppression continues to affect black lives, we know nothing. We know nothing about the challenges they face, the discrimination they receive or the plea for dignity and respect they demand.” Decolonization in Action: Service and Research with Native Nations at CSB/SJU The final event in the Anti-Racism Series during the fall semester was in November when we had the incredible opportunity to partner with CSB/SJU Professor Dr. Ted Gordon, student researchers, and Jaime Arsenault to
"Until we learn about white supremacy, we know nothing."
present Decolonization in Action: Service and Research with Native Nations at CSB/SJU as a part of the AntiRacism Series. Jaime Arsenault is the White Earth Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and she has been working along with a few students from CSB/SJU for many months on various projects. The event included presentations on student research from five different Bennies and Johnnies who have worked diligently to create research projects to help better our community and the indigenous and native communities in our area. The presenters stated a call to action for members of the CSB and SJU community to step up and do their part in contributing to the fight toward decolonization through volunteering and advocating.
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Intersectionality: An interactive, inclusive conversation surrounding the importance of intersectionality
Written by Elliot Edeburn '21 Friday, October 23rd was this year’s second “Community Engagement Day,” a day meant to bring the greater community together to engage in important dialogue outside of the classroom. As our contribution, the McCarthy Center hosted What is Intersectionality and Why is it Important? Regan Dolezal and Elliot Edeburn facilitated the event, and Jack Pieper ’21, Brandyn Woodard of Intercultural and International Student Services, and Dr. Pedro dos Santos of Political Science served as panelists. The event served as a follow-up to a podcast episode that Regan and Elliot recorded over the summer with their podcast, I’m Glad You Asked. The two started the podcast in the spring of 2020 and have released several podcasts ranging from the importance of voting to becoming anti-racist at CSB/SJU. During the intersectionality episode, they chatted with panelists about intersectionality, the theory that our various identities intersect to create a unique lived experience. On Community Engagement Day, we extended the conversation to our community and discussed how we might create a more inclusive and intersectional St. John’s and St. Ben’s. In our Zoom meeting of roughly 60 people, professors shared teaching techniques to encourage students to think intersectionally, and students shared their thoughts and experiences on campus. Dr. dos Santos provided an example of intersectional scholarship by demonstrating an intersectional analysis of global affairs and current events, focusing on gender, class, and race. During the event, we constructively sought ways for students, faculty, and community members to think critically about the way our identities intersect to create our experiences.
Listen to "I'm Glad You Asked: What is intersectionality and why is it important?" on Spotify
Pictured from left to right: IISS Director Brandyn Woodard, Q+ Advisory Board Member Jack Pieper '21, POLS Professor Dr. Pedro dos Santos MCCARTHY MAGAZINE | 14
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McCarthy Center's First
Civic Fellow Victoria M. Evens
This year, a new position, the civic fellow, was created at the McCarthy Center. The Civic Fellow is in charge of general administration and coordination duties for the McCarthy Center including managing budgets, supervising student coordinators, directing social media, and more. In addition to these duties, the McCarthy Center sponsors the fellow in professional development and research opportunities. Within the freedoms of this new position, I had the honor of pursuing additional service opportunities. My biggest commitment outside of the McCarthy Center is my work with the Boulanger Initiative. The Initiative is a non-profit organization promoting the performance and study of music composed by womxn. I have served the organization as a research intern for almost a year, committing over ten hours a week to the research and development of a data-base of womxn composers. My job is to locate scores, publishers, recordings, and various information on my assigned composers. This semester, I contributed information to over 200 musical works. In addition to my research, I volunteer as a grader for the Graide Network, an organization designed to support teachers across America with fast and effective feedback on student work. As part of my service to the Graide Network, I have passed the qualifiers for grading AP English, AP Government, and AP History assignments. This allows me to assist teachers in grading projects for AP courses as well as our typical K12 assignments. Finally, the McCarthy Center sponsored me to participate in a four-week online seminar course through Gotham Writers entitled "How to get Published." This course consisted of lectures, virtual discussion, and assignment feedback meant to prepare me for publication. This opportunity allowed me to gain the knowledge and resources needed to pursue a future in non-fiction writing and publication.
www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
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ELECTION 2020
MCCARTHY MAGAZINE
INTERVIEW
Q&A WITH SENATOR TINA SMITH WRITTEN BY EMMETT ADAM '23
Ahead of a divisive presidential election,
The student coordinators began the conversation
significant down ballot races, contentious races in
with questions related to her campaign and time
a divided Minnesota legislature and a highly
in the U.S. Senate. Smith summarized the central
anticipated U.S. Senate race, students at the
tenants of her platform, emphasizing a
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s
commitment to progressive politics while
University intently awaited to see the country’s
maintaining strong bipartisanship. During this
next slate of political leadership. With election day
speech, Senator Smith referenced bipartisan
occurring Nov. 3, 2020, “Zoom burnout” was the
legislation from her work in the U.S. Senate.
last thought on student’s minds as they anticipated
Following these remarks, the conversation shifted
hearing from incumbent, junior U.S. Senator Tina
to the issue of health insurance. Smith provided
Smith.
insight to her position on health care, stating her belief that heath insurance should be available to
On Oct. 28, 2020, the Eugene J. McCarthy
all people as a right. Additionally, Smith spoke to
Center for Public Policy and Civic Engagement
this issue in the context of the pandemic.
hosted U.S. Senator Tina Smith for a conversation via Zoom. Smith’s opponent, Jason Lewis was also contacted to speak to the student body. However, due to a health emergency, he was unable to attend the event. The conversation was 30 minutes long, hosted by McCarthy Center student coordinators Laurel Poole '21 and Colin Yokanovich '21.
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ELECTION 2020
MCCARTHY MAGAZINE
INTERVIEW
Q&A WITH SENATOR TINA SMITH
Following the initial discussion, the conversation
Smith also spoke against the confirmation of
was opened to an audience of students. Students
Justice Barrett, referring to the ongoing election
asked Senator Smith about her committee
and the speed of the confirmation process.
assignments and opinion on the recent
Although a precedent remains for Supreme Court
confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barret to the
confirmation during an election year, Smith argued
Supreme Court of the United States. Smith, a
that this election is a significant outlier, citing
member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian
increased early-vote and absentee ballot totals in
Affairs spoke very candidly on the issues facing
light of the pandemic.
Native American communities in Minnesota. Through education, economic development, land
Incumbent Senator Smith defeated former
management and other policy reform, Smith looks
Congressman Jason Lewis by a margin of 100,000
to address disparities and inequities facing these
votes on election day. She will serve her first full
Minnesota communities.
term in the U.S. Senate starting January 3rd, 2020.
Photo provided by Colin Yokanovich '21
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Written by Colin Yokanovich '21
The Importance of CSB/SJU Votes This school year, I had the privilege of serving as a team lead for CSB/SJU Votes, a student group with a united non-partisan goal to increase student voter participation. Through the coalition, we worked to provide resources for the student body on voter registration, polling locations, and the importance of voting to the larger project of civic engagement. With the 2020 election nearly behind us, I can say that CSB/SJU Votes played a unique role in the era of COVID-19. As student directors of the coalition, Laurel Poole '21 and I were tasked with recalibrating our outreach efforts to fit a vastly different campus environment. We continued the long tradition of tabling for voter registration day, partnering with the Institute for Women's Leadership, College Democrats, and College Republicans. We also worked to reach students through greater institutional support. The CSB and SJU Student Senates funded a broad non-partisan GOTV package that burgeoned our engagement efforts. This funding enabled us to stress the importance of voting for Bennies and Johnnies in new ways. We were able to expand our footprint through collaboration with different academic and institutional departments, clubs, and our growing list of community partners. One of our standout initiatives, the Make Your Vote Count Challenge, leveraged the strength of community living at CSB/SJU to encourage voting as a group activity. Regardless of who students voted for at every level, our goal was to mobilize students to have a voice and be a voter. By normalizing voter participation, we hope that CSB and SJU students will be emboldened to make civic engagement a part of our culture.
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Collaboration with
STUDENT LEADERS by: Sydney Richter '23 People are much more likely to do something if they are told to do it by someone they trust and look up to. For this reason, in the weeks leading up to election day, the McCarthy Center partnered with SJU Athletics and Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) to create the “Johnnies Vote” initiative. Chris Backes, senior football athlete and SAAC chapter president, was incredibly helpful in creating this initiative to encourage all Johnnie athletes to get out and vote on November 3rd. In the words of Chris Backes, “I wanted to partner with the McCarthy Center because they provided quality information for helping students get informed to vote. Our students and our athletes here at SJU are future leaders in our communities, so getting people out to vote now allows us to start using our voices to make meaningful changes in our society.”
On election day, we wanted to get in one more big effort to push students to go vote. What better way than for student leaders themselves to tell students to go vote? With the generous support of student leaders on campus including club presidents, athletes, and McCarthy Center student coordinators, a two-minute-long video was created to encourage students to get out and do their civic duty. The video was promoted on our social medias and there was a wide-spread positive response from the student body. www.csbsju.edu/mccarthy-center
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ELECTION DAY AT CSB/SJU Voting on Campus Written by Elliot Edeburn '21
On Election Day this year, an abnormally warm and sunny November day, the McCarthy Center was out in full force to ensure that students knew their voting plan. With tables at both campuses, we distributed cookies, stickers, and information about how to register and vote on election day. Additionally, the team distributed voter guides with information about the candidates running for local office to help students make informed decisions. We answered questions and did our best Chuck Todd impersonations as we speculated about electoral math and who would win Florida. Many students were unaware that they could register to vote at their polling place. For Bennies and off-campus students that needed transportation to their polling place in St. Joseph, buses ran constantly to ensure safe and easy transportation. Especially for new voters, our presence on election day communicated that voting is an expectation for Bennies and Johnnies
To promote informed voting, the McCarthy Center and CSB/SJU Votes created our first voter guide for the local St. Joe elections. The guide included candidates for the mayoral and city council elections.
INFORMING
THE VOTER By Carolina Apaez '21
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Since almost all of the candidates did not have a formal website, it was difficult to find detailed information on the candidates. The St. Cloud Times did have a voter guide, but it did not cover specific issues that affect college students. This led to the first-ever City of St. Joseph Local Elections Voter Guide created on campus. The first part of the process was identifying issues that students cared about in order to form our questions. Asking around campus not only allowed us to get a sense of students' interests but also inform students on the day-to-day impact that the city council and mayoral decisions have on the CSB/SJU Community. Some of the common concerns included COVID-19 restrictions, housing opportunities, and local environmental sustainability. St. Joe has a relatively small population, and the college is a big part of it. Despite this, getting candidates to respond proved tougher than expected. Out of the eight candidates, four responded to our questionnaire. Given the importance of informed voting, the McCarthy Center will continue informing students on important local races in future elections.
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PROMOTION: COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL ARTISTS Written by Laurel Poole '21
Knowing we would have to get creative due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this fall the McCarthy Center engaged students in one of the best ways: free stuff. We didn’t just order things online in an attempted quick grab and go. The mission was to promote something of value created within the St. Joseph community. That led the McCarthy Center to reach out to Mary Bruno. Mary is a local letterpress printmaker, who displays her work around the globe. Her poster prices range between $25 and $370 depending on size and detail. In collaboration, the McCarthy Center created a non-partisan “Go Vote” poster for Mary to sell and for us to give out on campus. We worked with art student Clairissa Nathe, to create another poster for students. This poster centered on John Lewis’s quote, “The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have…” It was stylized through digital design as opposed to Mary’s raw ink. Having these two types of posters in conjunction with each other created options for students. Working under the absence of mass emails, our social media platforms have been the most productive form of engagement between the McCarthy Center and our audience. So, to give away the posters with enough time for display before November 3rd, the MCC took to Instagram. The Instagram give-away yielded a lot of excitement and drew many people to the center for the first time. It also increased student awareness of the presence of local artists within St. Joseph and campus. Another promotion we completed in the days leading up to the election were free t-shirts. The McCarthy Center collaborated with on-campus screen printers, the T-Spot, to make a non-partisan t-shirt that appealed to all audiences. We modeled the design after the “Supreme” logo, knowing that was a fan favorite amongst the students. Working with the T-Spot was an awesome experience as opposed to outsourcing the work to some other organization. The give-away took place at the on-campus coffee shops a week before the election. Despite having 250 t-shirts, within hours they were all gone. Students are still messaging the McCarthy Center student workers in the hopes of grabbing a remaining shirt. Giving out free things may seem aimless, but to college students it is incredibly valuable. This has been a creative way we continue to engage with the students on-campus. Aiming to serve them during a pandemic can be difficult, but doing whatever we can to increase excitement and civic engagement has been awesome.
Pictured from left to right: "Go Vote" print by Mary Bruno, Bennies sporting VOTE t-shirts, "John Lewis" digital print by Clairissa Nathe
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The Mentor Program Written by Emmett Adam '23
With in-person meetings halted due to the pandemic, for the first time ever, the McCarthy Center Mentor Program was forced to shift its 14th cohort fully virtual. This year’s Mentor Program, led by student coordinators Emmett Adam '23 and Liam Miller ’23, features approximately 50 students and mentors. Throughout the semester, mentees and mentors conduct various interviews, resume exchanges and meetings. In December, the Program culminates with a final networking event: Polidazzle.
Program.” At this meeting, mentees were assigned mentors for the semester. Additionally, Director of the Center, Matt Lindstrom gave students an introduction to the functions of both the Center and the Program. Lindstrom emphasized the importance of being assertive for oneself, taking advantage of the Center’s resources and the fact that the program exists for the benefit of students. Opening the Program strongly is profoundly important and due to Dr. Lindstrom’s advice, this goal was accomplished.
Although the value of in-person dialogue is missed, virtual meetings have provided a new opportunity for flexibility and creativity which the program had not yet untapped. Throughout the semester, the Mentor Program hosts five meetings, discussing various topics. The Mentor Program opened in October with a meeting entitled “Welcome to the
Next, the program reconvened with its second meeting, “Relationship Building in a COVID-19 Era” with guest speaker Gary Eichten. Eichten is a graduate of SJU and had a forty-five year career with MPR. Throughout the course of the meeting, Eichten spoke of his career path. One of the key pieces of advice from Eichten was to not stick to a plan when deciding career paths. Eichten claimed that he never planned on pursuing journalism. However, through trying different things, he found his career. The third meeting for the program featured a resume workshop with Jane Ludwig ’21 from the Experience and Professional Development Office at CSB/SJU. A fundamental part of the program is professional development, which begins with crafting a strong resume. Throughout the presentation, Ludwig explained best practices for resumes, emphasizing that all experiences can be framed well. Leaving this meeting, mentees gained a greater perspective on how to think about resumes in order to complete their best product.
Gary Eichten speaks at the virtual meeting
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Following a presentation and resume workshop from XPD, the Mentor Program hosted its fourth meeting, “'Leading from the Margins’ and Professional Development.” This meeting covered both inclusive leadership and how to ensure that all have a seat at the table. Additionally, more conversation regarding professional development occurred alongside remarks regarding the functions of Polidazzle. Lastly, the Mentor Program will be hosting the closing networking event for the semester: Polidazzle. This event is one of the best opportunities for the program to evolve and get creative. With mentors in different parts of the world, the shift to virtual opened access more than ever. Additionally, functions of virtual meetings such as specific rooms for different fields allows for a more specialized program. Although the pandemic has altered most facets of people’s lives in the last few months, it has allowed the Mentor Program to get creative and flexible. Due to the Johnnie/Bennie network, commitment from students and commitment from leaders, the Program continued strong for a 14th year.
What's Next for the Program? Written by Liam Miller '23
Amidst the continuous ambiguity that has been attributed to the ongoing pandemic, the Mentor Program will continue to find innovative and creative ways to “embrace the unknown." Next year, the Mentor Program will continue to invite a wider variety of CSB/SJU alumni and professionals from numerous backgrounds who will be able to connect with students and offer them
Student coordinators Emmett Adam '23 and Liam Miller '23 host a virtual Mentor Program meeting via zoom.
transformative testimonies and advice. The team also hopes to continue hosting workshop sessions for our students that will allow them to better themselves not only as aspiring professionals but leaders. These actions will correlate with the foundational goals of the Mentor Program which are: 1) Gain Knowledge 2) Gain Experience and 3) Improve Skills. Ultimately, it is our hope that the Mentor Program meetings will able to take place in person once again. The Mentor Program plans to resume in early February of 2021. One of our first guest presenters will be Jeff Chidester, Executive Director of External Affairs at the University of Virginia’s Frank Batton’s School of Leadership and Public Policy. Given Chidester’s reputation and experiences in leadership and professional development, we are confident that he will provide valuable insight and advice to our students. Since its debut in 2006, the Mentor Program has become a staple within the McCarthy Center and has touched the lives of hundreds of students and mentors that have passed through our halls over the years. The McCarthy Center team looks forward to continuing this program for many years to come.
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MEET OUR STUDENT COORDINATORS WRITTEN BY SKYLAR GAST '21
Laurel Poole Political Science & English Longview, WA
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM With this fall being the presidential election, our civic engagement team focused mainly on getting material and information to the students on both the CSB and SJU campus, so they have support during this critical election. They also created a election coalition, where student leaders came together to promote voting.
Colin Yokanovich Biochemistry & Communication Eagan, MN
MCCARTHY MENTORSHIP TEAM Our McCarthy mentorship team has been working hard to facilitate our 2020-2021 McCarthy Mentorship program. This fall our coordiantors paired students with mentors and created events to promote making relationships between the mentors and the mentees.
Emmett Adam Political Science & Pre-Law St. Paul, MN Liam Miller Economics & Political Science Nassau, Bahamas
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EVENTS/MARKETING TEAM Our events/marketing team worked hard to create events that would connect the student of CSB/SJU with topics surrounding our world, today. Along with creating events, a focus for this semester is to take advantage of the digital world we are in and try to find ways to still to create discussions and opportunities to create relationships, by using all platforms available to us.
Carolina Apaez Political Science & Hispanic Studies Houston, TX
Elliot Edeburn Political Science & Hispanic Studies Sartell, MN
Skylar Gast Accounting Shawano, WI
Sydney Richter Political Science & German Saint Cloud, MN
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Thank You! Speakers Jamie Arsenault Daniel Bachmeier ‘21 Belen Benway ‘21 Maija Eickhoff ‘21 Ted Gordon Faith Gronda ‘22 Kathleen Hall Jamieson Dr. Josie Johnson Dr. Ken Jones Heather Pieper-Olson Jack Pieper ‘21 Dr. Pedro dos Santos Senator Tina Smith Kayla Vang ‘22 Claire Winters ‘21 Brandyn Woodard Mentors Arturo Viera Barron Chris Bergstrom Kevin Clarke Clement Dai Mike Erlandson Colin Frederick Tom Freeman Barry Griffin Patrick Stewart Hester Banjamin Hutterer Mark Irion Sean Kershaw Brendan Klein Chase Kroll Brenda “B” Kyle John Lindstrom Vic Moore Cap O’Rourke
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Tiffany Peplinski Stephanie Pinkalla Gary Prevost Taylore Reaves Eric Reeve Alex Ricci Jessica Slattery Katie Spoden Drew Stommes Edwin Torres Alul Yesak Mentees Fardusa Ahmed Addison Bellor Sam Black Elena Branca Lillian Brudwick Crystal Diaz Belen Dominguez Elliot Edeburn Olivia Engling Kate Estrada Alexie Horner Connor Kockler Lizbet Martinez-Port An Phan Sydney Richter Betsy Ruckman Hailey Ryan Utukulu Shalita Hannah Sobhani Roger Stelljes Grace Terlinden Makeala Turner Jacquelin Viera Michael Williams
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Thank You! CSB/SJU Votes Coalition CSB Senate Sister Nancy Hynes Institute for Women Leadership Men’s Development Institute SJU Senate United Politics College Republicans College Democrats Experience and Professional Development Climate Justice Club Exploring Latin American Cultures Thank you to our generous supporters Anderson Windows Shelly Brandl Dady & Gardner, P.A. Dunlap Family Foundation Dawn and Mike Erlandson '86 Ellen McCarthy and Charlie Howell John '71 and Maureen '71 Knapp Paul '82 and Anne '82 Krump John '63 and Mary Lindstrom Kiyoshi '86 and Maureen '86 McRaith Nakasaka Cap O'Rourke '98 Michael Rubio Stearn's County Department of Health MaryBeth McCarthy Yarrow Dan '70 and Katharine Whalen
Student Contributors: Emmett Adam '23 Carolina Apaez '21 Elliot Edeburn '21 Skylar Gast '21 Liam Miller '23 Laurel Poole '21 Sydney Richter '23 Colin Yokanovich '21
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Special Thanks to: Sheila Hellermann, Dept. Coordinator Dr. Matt Lindstrom, Director Dr. Christi Siver, Farry Professor Edited and Designed by: Victoria M. Evens, Civic Fellow
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