In a period of time where unwieldy social media arguments can dominate political discourse, many valuable viewpoints can get lost in translation — something Undergraduate Student Government Downtown is looking to counteract this semester with monthly policy talks.
USGD Vice President of Policy Jimmy Arwood is looking to provide a platform that gives everyone a chance to voice their views without judgment and with helpful discourse.
This semester, Arwood has paired with Ryan Leith, director of state and municipal affairs to start “The Policy Talk Series.” The series is aimed at opening political discussion among students, community leaders and local residents.
Arwood said this started as an idea he had in the spring semester when he and Jackson Dangremond, USGD president, were running for office — an idea that stems from helping others find their passion.
“I’m just really passionate about helping people find their own passion,” Arwood said. “So I thought this might be a way for people to see that there’s a place for them where they can come, and they can engage with something, and they can find an issue they want to work on in their community.”
The format of the series comprises of a keynote speaker, who is usually a civic leader, speaking for about 15 minutes. Lawrence Robinson, director of the Maricopa Community College District Center for Civic Participation, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Policy Talk Series on Sept. 7.
Robinson said the informality of the format was very beneficial in providing a comfortable atmosphere to the series.
“What I liked about the format was it wasn’t just a lecture,” Robinson said. “Jimmy did a really good job of bringing pizza and putting it at the right time without coming across as too formal — it was an easy space for people to engage.”
Robinson was not only pleased with the casual atmosphere of the town-hall-style meeting, but he also said it was a different approach from what he usually sees in this type of discussion.
“A lot of times, when I see these discussions take place, they’re framed as much more of an ‘adult’ telling students how to engage,” Robinson said. “The way that Jimmy structured it, it was much more about the students, their questions, them putting their opinions forward, and it seemed like everybody was very comfortable to express themselves.”
Along with civic leaders in the metro Phoenix area, ASU students such as public policy senior Bridgette Piña found their place in the discussion.
Piña attended the first policy talk, and said she finds such discussions advantageous in that it is a good step forward in making positive social change.
“Things like this aren’t going to necessarily fix our problems, but I think talking about them and accepting them for what they are is a good place to start,” Piña said.
Arwood and his team will look to make that happen going forward. The next Policy Talk Series is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in the San Carlos Room of the Post Office Student Center in downtown Phoenix. USGD President Jackson Dangremond will be giving a State of the Campus address and will open up a question-and-answers session with students.
The end goal of these events is summed up in opening peaceful political discourse among students, Arwood said.
“It seems like today, politics is this thing you want to stay away from,” he said. “I really want to build the idea that it is OK to talk about politics and discuss it and to disagree at times. It doesn’t need to be this giant, ugly beast.”
Reach the reporter at vkeys@asu.edu or follow @VKeys1231 on Twitter.
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