Discussion and Reflection Questions for Community-Engaged Convocation Speakers

For 15 years between 2006 and 2021, Simon served as the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). He traveled the world defending the rights of journalists, effectively saving lives and getting innumerable people out of harm’s way.

1. Simon’s journalism has been characterized as disruptive by those it seeks to expose, though he characterizes his work — and journalism as a whole — as a defensive, rather than offensive pursuit. In what ways does this recharacterization of the nature of journalism change your relationship to media? 
2. On May 16, 2019, Simon testified before congress in a hearing on “The Dangers of Reporting on Human Rights”. In his efforts, he describes the many places and work that journalists do, which have and/or continue to render difficulty to the work conducted in the US, Asia, Africa, South Africa, and beyond. What problems have you faced in trying to find and identify accurate information or knowledge? What strategies have you learned to make the process more efficient, if at all?
3. Simon’s work has been especially concerned with insuring the capacity of journalists to conduct their work without fear of reprisal, both in the realm of personal, corporeal safety, and in the ability for journalists to do journalism as free agents, uninhibited by government imposition or censorship. It is perhaps easy to assume that journalism is the only communications work that faces or requires awareness about its vulnerability, but as Simon describes in his work The New Face of Censorship, it is not only journalists, but academics, activists, students, artists, poets, and even casual users of social media are not exempt from censorship. What is a thought or conviction that you have wanted to share, but feel unable? Why? 
4. Simon’s work in press rights is in direct response to the multifaceted nature of field journalism. What parts of your work or efforts require more consideration than first meets the eye? 
5. Since the 1990s, Joel Simon’s career has been particularly focused on bringing an intimate understanding of Latin America to the west, reporting on Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, and Mexico, documenting uprising, conflicts, assassinations, and genocide. Even so, his work has increasingly focused on the United States domestically, and global themes of authoritarianism and its impositions on freedom. How have you carried your own work, interests, and focuses into other areas of your life? What values has it brought you? 

Questions written by ACE fellow Ashton Macklin ’27

Andrew Little is an Associate Professor of Political Science at UC Berkeley. Most of his current research asks how people form beliefs about the political world, when these beliefs have systematic biases, and how this affects the functioning of democracy.

1. Professor Little conducts empirical research on democratic backsliding, or the decline of democratic institutions and the rise of autocratic rule. To do this, he explores several different measures of democracy, including free media, rights protections, and government checks/balances. What do you consider to be hallmarks of democracy? How have you seen those threatened at a local/state/national level?
2. In one 2024 paper titled Measuring Democratic Backsliding, he explains that, “the common claim that we are in a period of massive global democratic decline is not clearly supported by empirical evidence.” What are examples you can think of that support this argument? What are ways in which individuals can counteract democratic backsliding?
3. In his work on measuring backsliding, Little emphasizes that there is room for far more research on the subject, saying: “Admitting uncertainty is particularly crucial when studying issues such as backsliding that draw wide attention outside of academia.” What are other examples of issues that draw attention outside of the academic spheres? How can we ensure that discussion about these issues is holistic and open-ended?
4. In one 2025 study on predictor pessimism, Professor Little explains that predictions for events of the second Trump administration have proved remarkably accurate. When reflecting on the past year, did you predict any of the year’s events prior to Trump’s inauguration? Did you approach this term with pessimism or optimism? How has this changed?
5. In a 2025 paper on discriminatory policing, Little explores police interventions and contact with overpolicied populations. He explains that “interventions that induce positive contact with an overpoliced group can mitigate the officer’s discriminatory policing”, but that, “this beneficial effect only persists if the policy intervention creates sustained positive contact.” How can sustained positive contact reduce community harms? What might this look like in the Northfield and broader Minnesota context?
   

Questions written by ACE fellow Naomi Fina ‘26

Spike Carlsen is the author of the award-winning A Splintered History of Wood, as well as A Walk Around the Block, Cabin Lessons and four other books. He’s appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Modern Marvels, HGTV, the CBS Early Show, and more.

1. Spike Carlsen’s 2020 book, A Walk Around the Block, explores how we assign meaning to everyday objects we see, and the consequences of doing so. What (seemingly) mundane items in your community are charged with meaning? Are there items you regularly interact with that you think have deeper implications than at first sight? Are there things that you take for granted that have an outsized influence on your life?
2. In the process of creating his book A Walk Around the Block, Spike worked with community activists on how to make cities more walkable. Through this process, he learned about how we might improve our built environment and make public spaces safer and more accessible. Are there ways that you envision your own community becoming more walkable? How does the built environment inform your perceptions of your community?
3. Spike Carlsen is an acclaimed woodworker, and one of his newer projects is Wooden Beings: Little People Telling Big Stories. Through this project, Spike creates small wooden figurines out of scrap wood where each figurine is unique. What creative outlets do you use to tell stories? How might art be a powerful tool for community building?
4. Spike serves on the board of Refugee Housing Minnesota, which was founded in 2025 as a response to federal funding disruptions in refugee resettlement. What community organizations are you aware of that have responded to government disruptions over the past year? What key issues are community organizations unable to address?
5. Many of Spike’s books emphasize affordability and accessibility in woodworking, and he also writes to make projects easy for kids to understand. Why is this important? Does this pique your own interest in woodworking? What hobbies would you consider if they were more accessible?

The Honorable Alan Page become the first African American on the Minnesota Supreme Court and one of the few associate justices ever to join the court initially through election, rather than appointment by the governor. He received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978.

1. In 1988 Page and his wife Diane founded the Page Education Foundation. The Foundation helps to financially support students of color in Minnesota pursuing a post-secondary education where Page scholars are required to volunteer as tutors and mentors for at-risk children. How can this program benefit  scholars as well as the community? Have you had a mentor who had an impact on you? What kind of an impact can mentors have, especially for younger students?
2. In January 2020, Page and Neel Kashkari proposed amending a portion of the MN State Constitution to read “All children have a fundamental right to a quality education that fully prepares them with the skills necessary for participation in the economy, our democracy, and society …It is a paramount duty of the state to ensure quality public schools that fulfill this fundamental right.” How did your schools prepare you for participation in the economy, our democracy and society? How can schools improve on this notion? Are there other fundamental rights of a quality education?
3. In 2017, in response to a mission started by students, Alexander Ramsey Middle School in Minneapolis was renamed the Justice Page Middle School. Alexander Ramsey was Minnesota’s first territorial governor who called for the removal of the Mdewakanton and Wahpekute from the state. How does renaming the school contribute to how history is told? Most buildings are named after those who are long deceased, but Justice Page is still actively contributing to his community. How can this impact the students at Justice Page Middle School? 
4. While first filing to run for the MN Supreme Court in 1990, Page was blocked when Justice Kelley retired and Gov. Rudy Perpich appointed a new justice. Then in 1992, history seemed to repeat itself when Gov. Arne Carlson extended Justice Yetka’s term by two years, preventing his seat from being up for election. Page petitioned the MN Supreme Court which ultimately decided that the extension was unlawful and there would be an election. Page was quoted in the Star Tribune after saying, “the people of Minnesota are the real winners here. The Court has said the Constitution requires elections and that the election will go forward.” What is the importance of judicial elections? Do you feel that the judiciary should be appointed or elected? 
5. While accepting his honorary degree from Carleton in 2016, Justice Page said, “The key to whatever success I have had can be found in an unwillingness to be satisfied with playing to the level of the competition, a willingness to push beyond my self-perceived limitations, and a willingness to be involved in the community around me.” Is there a time when you pushed yourself beyond your perceived limits? How are you involved in your community? What significance does your community have in your success?

Steve Grove has spent his career at the intersection of politics, media, and tech. His recent book, How I Found Myself in the Midwest, shares his journey of leaving a successful career at Google in Silicon Valley to move back to his home state of Minnesota to join state government, and then local news, where he now serves as the publisher of The Minnesota Star Tribune

1. Steve Grove’s role as CEO and Publisher of the Minnesota North Star Tribune is one that translates into serving as a public custodian of information. In a time such as this, when the veracity and verifiability of information has become less certain and consistent, roles such as Grove’s become tantamount to public service. Often times, it’s not only a top-down responsibility, but one in which everyone becomes a shareholder. What is the role you feel you have in your society as an information or knowledge keeper? How have political developments changed your relationship to verifiable and accessible information?
2. Minnesota-born, Steve Grove left the state after graduating from Carleton to pursue opportunities in Silicon Valley, but later returned back home with a convicted responsibility to his state. This and more he narrates in his memoir: How I Found Myself in the Midwest: A Memoir of Reinvention. What or who defines what makes a place feel like home to you? How do you maintain your relationship with those places? 
3. In 2013, Steve Grove founded Silicon North Stars, an initiative that seeks “…to inspire and educate young Minnesotans to become future leaders in technology.” and does so by building “…a community of young tech leaders who can continually draw inspiration from mentors and each other throughout their high school experience, preparing them for future careers in technology.” When you think of how you decided to pursue your particular career or major, what or who were the influences helped you achieve your goals as you progressed? What role do you hope to serve for others who may be trying on the shoes you wore  earlier in your career?
4. In an article for the Los Angeles Times, Steve Grove leads with the title “Daunted by our nation’s big problems? The solutions start small and local.” What does not only the idea, but the phrasing communicate to you about Grove’s understanding of his role in his community? What was your immediate reaction to the suggestion, and did it say anything about your preconceptions about power? What are some ways that either you or someone you know has engaged with other people and politics that have had a bigger impact than you anticipated?
5. Steve Grove’s time at Silicon Valley saw him tasked with organizing Google’s civic engagement work, including the company’s nonpartisan voter information and get-out-the-vote efforts. He previously built YouTube’s news and politics team, launching the first partnership programs for news organizations, nonprofits, and political candidates. Even so, his most enriching civil engagement pursuits and efforts have been made after and because of his return to the Midwest. What does the role of familiarity play in how you engage with your community? 

Brian Klaas ’08 is Professor of Global Politics at University College London, an associate researcher at the University of Oxford, and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He was recently named one of the 25 “Top Thinkers” globally by Prospect Magazine.

1. On the podcast “In Other Words”, Dr. Klaas discusses chaos theory, and how individual decision making can change the course of world history. He describes that resiliency to this chaos comes from well built institutions, saying: “The leaders who succeed aren’t those who guess the future correctly. They’re the ones who build organizations that bend rather than break.” In community organizations that you know of, how does being adaptable help further their mission? Have you considered this in any community work that you’ve engaged in?
2. In an interview with PBS, Dr. Klaas describes how technology can be a tool for social change, and how the timing of technology often determines how that social change comes about. What are examples that you can think of from recent history on how new technology has been used to drive social change? What are some technologies you anticipate becoming a tool for social change?
3. Dr. Klaas is the author of the book Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, which questions and explores how power changes leaders. In your experience, have you felt that leadership positions you’ve held have changed your perspectives? Have these positions changed you as a person, and if so, how?
4. In his book Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters, Dr. Klaas argues that we willfully ignore a bewildering truth: but for a few small changes, our lives—and our societies—could be radically different. How has a small choice that you’ve made affected your life? How might small choices be drivers of societal change?
5. While Dr. Klaas is a political science professor, he also incorporates physics and quantitative inquiry in explaining his work. How does this interdisciplinary thinking make his work more accessible? What experiences have you had at Carleton (and beyond) where interdisciplinary thinking has helped you understand a concept more completely?

Questions written by ACE fellow Naomi Fina ‘26

James Kakalios, an internationally recognized expert on Superhero Science, is the Taylor Distinguished Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota.

1. James Kakalios has written four popular science books: The Physics of Superheroes, The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics, The Physics of Superheroes Goes Hollywood, and The Physics of Everyday Things, which explores the physics of things like elevators, touch screens, and ultrasound imaging. How can this format make physics more accessible to readers? If you have taken a physics course at Carleton, have you felt empowered by real life applications? How can a similar approach be applied to other subjects to make them more accessible?
2. In 2001 Kakalios created a freshman seminar class at the University of Minnesota entitled: “Everything I Know About Science I Learned from Reading Comic Books” where all the examples came from superhero comic books. Kakalios took his own interests, superhero comics, and incorporated them into his teaching. Has there been a time at Carleton when a professor has incorporated their interests into a course? How did that impact your experience in the course? 
3. In 2007, at the request of the National Academy of Sciences, Kakalios served as a volunteer science consultant for Warner Bros for the film Watchmen and again for Sony as the consultant for the film The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). What is the importance of having these consultants? What is the significance of the way science is portrayed in the media? Do you feel it is important that the physics are correct?
4. In a Physics World article from 2023, Kakalios argues that “everyone should learn to think like a scientist” continuing on that “the essence of thinking like a scientist can be summarized in one single question: What if I’m wrong?” Do you agree with this idea? How can thinking like a scientist be applied to parts of our lives that are not typically considered science? 

Questions written by ACE fellow Lillian Smith ’27

Louie is a law student in his final year at UIC Law. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Iron Man triathlon finisher, and disability advocate. Pursuing a life that breaks through the boundaries disabled people live with every day, he aims to bring this focus on disability advocacy and supporting vulnerable communities to his law practice in the coming year.

1. Diagnosed at age 5 with what is known as Stargardt disease, a very rare genetic condition that causes progressive degeneration of the retina, Louie McGee has lived life in seemingly relentless defiance of many of the stereotypes commonly attributed to blindness – from rafting the Grand Canyon to founding a non-profit, Louie’s Vision, while in high school. In his 2019 TEDx Minneapolis talk, he warns about society’s relegation of those with blindness as being either “helpless” or “heroes”. What do our assumptions about disabled life say about how we perceive disability itself?
2.  In the same interview, McGee gives three of his success strategies. For one  of them, Louie suggests, “Don’t try to go from A to Z. It’s all about the effort between those steps. Blindness can create more steps, but never lose sight of the goal.” What is one small but important step you’ve taken in your journey that only became apparent further down the road?
3. In the same talk, McGee, citing blindness as the third most feared physical condition, he wanted the audience to rethink blindness as a whole – beyond “white canes, glasses, and braille” – but as an aspect of one person’s life with its own unique challenges. His concluding approach to that life, that “I’ll figure it out and you can too” communicates a novel disregard of what could have been “I just can’t”. How could applying this philosophy change your understanding of your own life and its challenges? What do those challenges illuminate about your own perseverance?
4.  In a 2019 interview for the magazine “Experience Life” by LifeTime, McGee states, “Blindness is part of me. If I weren’t blind, I wouldn’t have so many cool opportunities, which outweigh the things I can’t do. I always try to focus on what’s possible”. This way of thinking about blindness as a social and cultural “world” of its own shares parallels with many other realities of disability, such as deafness and neurodivergence. What realities and experiences make up your “world” that someone born into it may not at first understand? Who do you share it with?

Questions written by ACE fellow Ashton Macklin ’27

Danielle Boyer is an Indigenous (Anishinaabe – Enrolled Sault Tribe) youth robotics inventor and advocate looking at how emerging technologies can be ethically used to drive Indigenous-led efforts for cultural preservation with a focus in language revitalization

1. In Boyer’s short documentary from MIT Solve, she says, “Our people have been inventors for thousands of years before colonization that was taken from us and we’re reclaiming that.” What does it mean for an individual or community to reclaim their history or identity? Are there parts of your identity that you have reclaimed? 
2. Boyer was named a 2021 MIT Solve Indigenous Communities Fellow, a program that showcases traditional knowledge systems, values, and teachings to reimagine and renew what is possible to their communities. How do traditional knowledge systems impact our learning and problem solving? How is that impact positive and/or negative?
3. Boyer created EKGAR which stands for Every Kid Gets a Robot. EKGAR is a robot building kit which teaches students technical skills like reading wiring diagrams and coding. What are other ways these kits impact students? What are the potential long-term impacts of this initiative for these communities? How can these positive impacts be supported?
4. One of Boyer’s goals was to give indigenous youth more access to technology. In rural Native communities, only 9% of households have personal computers, and even fewer have Internet access (National Congress of American Indians).18% of tribal reservation residents do not have internet access at home (American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University). What underlying causes contribute to this gap? How can they be addressed? How could the strengths of these communities be utilized? 
5. Boyer’s second robot, the Skobot, is a wearable language revitalization robot for indigenous languages. The robot is able to respond in endangered indigenous languages and it is meant to supplement community language learning, but not replace it. What are other ways to support community language learning? How is the language learning community supported at Carleton?
6. According to the STEAM connection website, Boyer’s Skobots use ethically sustainable and internally developed AI. What do you think of this notion of ethically sustainable AI? What is its importance? How can AI be used in similar ways to support our learning, but not replace community learning?

Marc Schulz is an award-winning Professor of Psychology who holds the Sue Kardas PhD 1971 Professorship in Psychology at Bryn Mawr College and directs Bryn Mawr’s Data Science Program.

1. Dr. Schulz is the Associate Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a study that has followed thousands of people for the past several decades. The goal of this study is to examine what personal investments and interests were associated with long-term happiness. What personal investments do you make that you associate with your long-term happiness? Are there other things you want to do that you believe would increase your long term happiness?
2. The Harvard Study of Adult Development finds that the most important indicator of long term happiness is having close personal connections and good relationships with others. How might Carleton help foster these connections? What are ways that you’ve built connections with others at Carleton?
3. Schulz describes that some countries/municipalities have instituted policies that emphasize human connection, such as benches in England that are intended for people to sit at and have conversations with those they don’t know. How might Carleton create infrastructure that encourages these connections? How might Northfield? How might Minnesota?
4. In an interview with the University of Chicago, Dr. Schulz describes a controlled study in which those who talk to others on public transit report higher levels of happiness than those who do not. He explains that this is an example of relationship building being central to happiness. What do you make of this? Do you try to connect with others that you don’t appear to have immediate commonalities with?
5. In an interview with the Australian podcast “The Proof”, Schulz describes a correlation with less overall happiness among young people today as compared to 20 years ago and the rise of technology. How does technology affect the connections you make with others? What are the advantages and challenges that you associate with technology and the ability to make connections?
6. In his interview with “The Proof,” Schulz and his interviewer discuss the phrase “stranger danger”, which we often hear as kids to ensure our safety. However, this also leads to us not engaging with those we don’t know. What phrases/cultural norms from your childhood/upbringing affect how you connect with others?

Alicia  Prieto  Langarica is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at Youngstown State University. Her research lies at the intersection of mathematics and biology, with applications in medical modeling, epidemiology, sleep regulation, and thermoregulation.

1. Dr. Prieto Langarica’s research lies at the intersection of mathematics and biology, specifically problems related to the medical field with recent research in data science, mathematics education and public policy. How does integrating diverse disciplines allow us to create comprehensive solutions? What experiences have you had that lie at the intersection of multiple fields? How can these ideas translate out of academics?
2. During a presentation in 2023 at the Math for All conference, Dr. Prieto Langarica discussed how she wasn’t good at math in elementary school and during middle school she attended a summer program for students to improve their math skills. Dr. Prieto Langarica now holds a Ph.D in mathematics and has received many awards in the field. Are there aspects of your education that were once hard but you now find captivating? Does this idea impact your thoughts around introduction courses? 
3. Dr. Prieto Langarica was born in Guadalajara, Mexico into a family that was sports oriented; many of her siblings and cousins played soccer and basketball and her grandfather played in the 1950 World Cup. She, on the other hand, described herself growing up as a “clumsy little girl.” What are some ways where you have strayed from expectations? Are there ways that you have followed the same path of those you are close to? 
4. During the pandemic, Dr. Prieto Lagarica worked to open a pantry on campus for international students who were unable to return home. She reached out to the local community for donations and was met with enthusiasm to help these students. How does the Carleton community support Rice County with this same enthusiasm towards collective action? Are there things that could be added or improved upon?
5. In an interview with the Business Journal, Dr. Prieto-Langarica said that it is difficult to get a student to care about math if they don’t have a place to go home to, and that we need to see students as whole individuals and take care of those things before we expect them to solve an integral. In what ways does or doesn’t Carleton foster this same idea? What ways could that be improved? 
6. This convocation is sponsored by the Elizabeth Nason Distinguished Visitors Fund, which aims to give “the opportunity for women students to ‘sit at the feet of’ a woman, to know her not for her accomplishments alone but for her personality, her spirit, her values, her beliefs – in sum, to know the person of achievement who is a woman.” What do you make of this sentiment? What value does prioritizing these personal qualities add to your understanding of her work? 

A nationally recognized advocate for neurological and physical diversity, Jonathan Mooney has been speaking across the nation about neurological and physical diversity for two decades, inspiring those who live with differences and calling for change. 

1. In a 2016 conversation with the Brainwaves Video Anthology, Mooney describes that throughout his childhood, he faced low expectations for his future outcomes because of his neurodivergence. He overcame these expectations in part because of learning systems and individuals in his life that embraced his differences as opposed to remediating them. What might schools and communities such as Carleton do to create more equitable learning environments for people of all neurodivergent backgrounds? 
2. Mooney explains that much of the data collected around neurodivergent youth focuses on weaknesses or perceived deficits, but there needs to be more data focusing on the strengths and holistic skills of a whole person. What responsibility does Carleton have to further this mission? What are ways that Carleton can challenge the deficit model of measuring classroom success?
3. In a 2021 interview with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Mooney discusses how as a child he held a negative learning identity and perceived himself as the “stupid, crazy, lazy kid.” Do you hold a personal learning identity? How might this be affected by the educational structures that you grew up in?
4. Mooney describes the foundation of education as relationship building. What do you make of this? How have relationships and connections with both classmates and teachers/professors impacted your education journey?
5. In a 2017 piece for the New York Times, Mooney asserts that, “A fundamental battleground for every civil rights movement has been the rejection of the idea that you’re the problem and a demand for cultural and systemic change.” How has this idea manifested itself in your academic or personal life? How can this idea be applied to a current issue that you care about?
6. In a 2014 Ted Talk, Mooney states that “We’ve done good work as a community of trying to challenge that dominant value system, but if we’re honest, it’s still there as a cultural norm of what we should all be.” What are cultural norms that you feel have shaped your life? What are ways that you can continue to challenge dominant value systems that put people into boxes?
7. In his Ted Talk, Mooney describes a “global wellbeing movement that refuses to accept disconnection in our neighborhoods and our relationships.” What are ways that you embrace connection in your communities? What obstacles might you face trying to find connections within your community?

Questions written by ACE fellow Naomi Fina ‘26

Chérif Keïta teaches Francophone literature of Africa and the Caribbean, as well as advanced languages courses. A native of Mali, he has published books and articles on both social and literary problems in contemporary Africa.

1. In an interview with the Minneapolis Institute of Art, when discussing Northfield, Keïta says, “Once you have kids in a place, I think you are part of that place and that place is part of you.” What events spark you to consider a place or community to become part of you? How can that relationship change over time? 
2. Keïta was born in Mali, then went to Brussels to study translation in English and Russian. For his comprehensive exercise he chose to translate the second half of the 1932 book Race, Class, and Party: A History of Negro Suffrage in White Politics in the South by Paul Lewison.  In an interview with the Carleton Media Library for Public Scholarship,  he said this sparked an interest in Black history and American politics. How have you seen your interests appear or be found in your other work? How has this impacted your understanding of both topics?
3. In a video from the Villon Films Archive, when discussing the life of 20th century South African politician and liberation philosopher John L. Dube, Keïta says, “He never lost sight of the people he left back home. Never lost sight of the conditions he left back home.” How does “what you left back home” impact how you approach learning? Consider, how does your positionality affect the work that you do? 
4. In a BBC article, Keïta explains that Nokutela Dube was overlooked by history. She, along with her husband John, built institutions that were ground-breaking in South Africa’s history, but because she was a woman, coupled with the fact that she could not have children, she was erased from history and buried without a headstone. How do physical acts of erasure, such as an unmarked grave, reinforce the symbolic erasure from history? What responsibilities do we have today to recover stories like Nokutela’s? 
5. In his interview for the Carleton Media Library for Public Scholarship, Keïta explained that he wanted to study “literature that concerns me.” In what ways is this sentiment similar or different to your approach to learning? 
6. Keïta discovered that one of the school teachers who educated Nokutela Dube was a missionary from Northfield and an essay by Nokutela was published in a Northfield newspaper in 1882. What do you make of this? Does this change your perspective on Northfield in any way? Does it make you consider the greater impact you can have? 
7. When asked about what it means to be a public scholar, Keïta responded that it is what “will have the widest echo among the communities.” What do you make of this statement? How do you agree or disagree with this notion? Are there examples of the work at Carleton that you would consider to be public scholarship?

Questions written by ACE fellow Lillian Smith ’27

Marie Myung-Ok Lee is an acclaimed Korean-American writer and author of the novels The  Evening Hero (Simon & Schuster, 2022) and Somebody’s Daughter (Beacon Press, 2006). 

1. One of fifty journalists to be allotted a visa to visit North Korea, Korean-American writer and essayist Marie Myung-Ok Lee approaches the topic of identity as one that transcends the immigrant experience, remaining in conversation with the Korean experience in both homes – the peninsula and the US – as well as the familiar, yet foreign family behind the curtain. How do you connect with your identity, and how does leaning more about Marie Myung-Ok Lee help you reconsider navigating that?
2. With Finding My Voice, Myung-Ok Lee is often considered to be the author of the first contemporarily-set Asian American Young Adult (YA) novel.  In an interview made after the books publication, she stated: “I think my ‘territory’ [as a writer] is curiosity and meaning in life. Very early on when I started writing, I was given really bad advice.” What has been creative advice you’ve encountered that you ended up discovering was unwisely devised? Why and how? What advice would you give to your younger creative self?
3. On multiple occasions, Marie Myung-Ok Lee has commented upon the creative process, detailing the deep work, patience, and time that is needed to produce literary work. She remarks how writing Finding My Voice was an 18-year-long process that illuminated her own self-understanding as a creator. “[A]Yale doctor had a really great quote about how, for some writers, writing is like driving at night; you only see what’s in front of you in the headlights a couple feet. That’s me. I’m lost in my own book. I’ve been lost in my book for years, but I finally wrote my way out.” What is a similar situation where you’ve found yourself ‘stuck in your own book’?
4. Marie Myung-Ok Lee’s novel Marie Myung-Ok Lee’s The Evening Hero, was a novel she wrote, focussing on the challenges, trials, and tribulations experienced in the aftermath of the Korean War, including the experience of a Korean physician and his family’s migrating to the United States. The story itself is heavily inspired by Myung-Ok Lee’s own life. In 2016, she stated: “…with the [2016 presidential] election and the open rearing of anti-Asian racism, I realized people had no conception of what ‘North Koreans’ are—i.e., like my father, the longtime anesthesiologist at the hospital.” Far too often, rhetoric is used and propagated about people who are “invisible”. What have you witnessed about the narratives that surround immigration and immigration culture that reflect this?

Questions written by ACE fellow Ashton Macklin ’27

Scott is the Executive Director of Community Action Center (CAC) where he focuses on how community systems are built in partnership and collaboration with the participants who access these systems.

1. In his acceptance speech for the Northfield Human Rights Award in 2024, Wopata says that his work at the Community Action Center (CAC) is really about understanding each individual person’s story. What do you make of this statement? How can we apply this lens to our academic and community engagement work?
2. In his interview with Emmaus Church, Wopata says that it is more important to focus on standing in solidarity with others rather than thinking about community engagement as a transactional relationship. What are some ways that we can apply this perspective to Carleton’s relationship to the Northfield community? How can we implement this way of engaging with others?
3. Wopata also oversees Hillcrest Village, a net-zero energy living community in Northfield. In his interview with CBS, Wopata talks about the fact that this project simultaneously addresses the housing issues and the climate crisis through providing both affordable housing and ensuring that the energy used at the site is renewable. What do you think about this way of using intersecting issues to address multiple modes of social justice at once? What are some other examples of seemingly separate social issues that could be addressed through a single project? How do we bring stakeholders together to create these multifaceted solutions?
4. Before working at the CAC, Wopata was the coach for the Northfield High School boys’ soccer team. He says that this experience taught him about how we can use everyday experiences, like playing a sport, to better understand our individual place in the world and how we can help the community. What activities do you participate in that might have connections to community engagement, even if they are somewhat covert? How can we apply this lens to our academic work?
5. In his interview with KYMN, Wopata talks about the CAC’s expansion into Faribault after one of the main food shelves in their community closed during the pandemic. He says that the CAC was “invited into” the Faribault community after this. What do you think about the idea of waiting to be asked before providing a social service for a community you are not a part of? Are there circumstances under which this approach to community engagement should not be used or is less helpful? When is it the most helpful?

Questions written by ACE fellow Lily Vargo ’25

Anna McGinn ’18 is a staff attorney at the Great North Innocence Project.  She screens, investigates, and litigates cases involving claims of actual innocence in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota

1. The Great North Innocence project is a non profit attempting to exonerate those wrongfully convicted. They have exonerated 13 people who have lost a combined total of 173 years in prison. How do we support people who have lost years of their life to wrongful conviction? What does losing that time mean for an individual, a family, or a community? 
2. Anna spent a year doing AmeriCorps before law school, she has reflected that this time was a “call to action.” How does taking time to work in community service change perspectives? Can we compare these experiences to say, mandatory military service, in other parts of the world which force young people to recognize their role in a larger society? 
3. The legal system is a highly criticized institution within our country. How do we define innocence and guilt? Where do those boundaries lie? Does the US legal code align with your own views? How can we make sense of this misalignment or tension?
4. In a recent interview Anna was quoted as saying “wrongful convictions undermine the public’s trust in the rule of law and the criminal legal system. Skepticism breeds tension between the public and those in positions of power.” Why is trusting our institutions important? Is it ever necessary for us to have skepticism in our institutions? 
5. Anna has said she is deeply passionate about criminal justice reform. Can we think about wrongful convictions as a way of exposing larger systems inequalities within our society? If we as individuals often do not have the power to reform these systems – how can we make a difference on these broader issues?
6. Anna is a Carleton graduate! How has your time at Carleton educated you about injustice? What experiences have been calls to action for you? What skills have you acquired to help you make a difference in your communities?

Questions written by ACE fellow Etta Humes ’25

Emily Ladau is an internationally known disability rights activist, writer, and speaker. She is the editor in chief of the Rooted in Rights blog, a platform dedicated to amplifying authentic narratives of the intersectional disability experience.

1. This week’s convocation speaker, Emily Ladau, gave her presentation digitally due to the inaccessibility of transportation in the United States. Much too frequently, disabled travelers’ mobility aids are mishandled, lost, destroyed, or broken by airlines and bus charters. Prior to the guest’s talk, how often have you considered inaccessibility as a form of segregation? What narratives have you heard surrounding disability, and how often were they informed by- or originate from disabled persons themselves?
2. Bodily autonomy is a concept understood, discussed, and asserted from a number of different lenses. These include consent to medical procedures, treatments, and therapies, physical contact, consumption of foods and beverages, and sex. Disability often finds itself excluded from narratives surrounding bodily autonomy. As many disabilities require some form of aid to access or participate in the same resources or environments as those who are not disabled, narratives surrounding disabled persons are commonly reinforced by stereotypes of inability, and are accordingly disrespected in popular Western culture. As a result, many likely good-intentioned abled persons assume a paternalistic relationship with disability that harms the disabled. Too often do wheelchair users find their chair touched or moved without their permission, or are approached offering help when undesired. What has Emily Ladau’s talk helped you consider regarding deconstructing these narratives and building allyship?
3. As many disadvantaged or underprivileged people groups, the disabled live an inescapably and increasingly politicized life. As referenced earlier, even those with reportedly good-intentions perpetrate infactual and inconsiderate narratives surrounding disability, that when combined with political power, have the ability to systematically harm disabled people. Having heard Emily Ladau’s talk, what examples can you identify in our contemporary cultural or political approach to the disabled? 
4. Disability often flips the cognitive paradigm on its head. In short, beyond one’s access, the way in which a person navigates, understands, and interacts with the world is often altered or flipped as a result of disability. As mentioned earlier, examples include, but are not limited to one’s bodily autonomy, one’s rights, and one’s relationship with their social environment. Navigating and understanding this difference in cognitive paradigm is conceptualized through what is known as the Double Empathy Problem. As allyship requires, among many things, understanding and respect of one’s understanding of another, how have you, how do you, – and after hearing Ladau’s talk – how will you consider the role of worldview in your approach to allyship?
5. Emily Ladau’s work in disability advocacy is diverse, long-enduring, and comprehensive, from her appearance on Sesame Street at age 10 to communicate the experience of disability to the Muppets and young viewers, to writing the book Demystifying Disability, which seeks to illuminate disabled history, allyship, struggle, life, culture, and self-conceptualization. Beyond the work of disabled disability advocates, Emily Ladau’s talk illustrates the important role the abled play in spreading public understanding and respect of the disabled experience. What role can you play?

Questions written by ACE fellow Ashton Macklin ’27

Wyna Liu is a puzzle maker and artist based in New York City. She is a puzzle editor at The New York Times, where she writes the daily game Connections. Her crosswords can be found in The New Yorker.

1. Liu says that part of the reason why she loves constructing puzzles is the feeling of frustration that comes with them. She goes on to say that when puzzles are not sufficiently challenging, the sense of accomplishment you get from finishing them is not as strong as when you finish a difficult puzzle. Do you agree with this idea? How might we apply this idea to an academic context? To a community engagement context?
2. During her appearance on the Today Show, Liu talks about the challenge of creating a puzzle that is accessible to everyone, since the difficulty of each category might vary based on each individual’s knowledge and experiences. Have you noticed this challenge appear in any other context, such as in the curriculum for a certain class? How can we address the issue of differing levels of the accessibility of knowledge?
3. In her interview with NYU Tisch, Liu describes how her graduate program involved lots of hands-on work that taught her a lot about her academic interests and helped to develop her creative process. For example, she talks about being eager to learn to code, but realizing that the coding itself wasn’t what was exciting to her, it was the process of constructing something. What does this say about the importance of hands-on academic work? About ideas like the liberal arts, which require students to explore multiple academic disciplines?
4. In her interview with Slate, Liu says that the finite number of words and finite number of meanings for each word actually helps her to make each Connections puzzle unique, as it forces her to think outside of the box when creating categories. What do you make of this idea? How might we apply this idea to academic work or community-engaged work?

Claire McFadden ’13 is a comedy writer and performer, currently starring in her second Mainstage  revue at The Second City. She has performed sketch comedy and improv at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, San Francisco  Sketch Fest, Out of Bounds, and Chicago Sketchfest, among others.

1. McFadden attributes much of her success in comedy writing to her experience in her high school theater program. However, despite their value to students, arts programs such as these are often some of the first things to be cut from schools when faced with tighter budgets, due to cultural perceptions of the arts being less critical than other academic subjects. What are the drawbacks of devaluing arts education – both for students and the community as a whole? What are some ways we can address this problem?
2. In her interview with CBS News, McFadden discusses how she has learned to gauge how audiences often want her material to be based on current events and how audiences critique that much of her material should be purely “escapist.” Do entertainers have an obligation to create material that makes a statement about things occurring in the real world? Is there an obligation to one’s audience in general? What is the value of escapist entertainment?
3. McFadden says that the ability to listen to and work with others has been critical to her success in comedy. Why do you think this is? What are some ways that we can develop our own teamwork skills? How might we put these skills into practice in our classrooms? In community engagement experiences?
4. In her interview with the Evanstonian, McFadden talks about her experience as a member of the Second City’s touring company, during which she would travel to different small towns and perform. She says that it was sometimes challenging to create material that was accessible to these audiences, who were of far different backgrounds than her own, and often had differing political beliefs compared to those of the performers. How can entertainers strike a balance between creating material that expresses their perspective on the world while making it accessible to people from different backgrounds?
5. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa? Do you see any dichotomy between your own academic life and your “non-”academic life?

Questions written by ACE fellow Lily Vargo ’25

Bryant  Simon is the Laura H. Carnell Professor of History and the Academic Chair of the University Honors Program at  Temple University in Philadelphia.

1. Simon is currently writing a book about the history of public bathrooms and how they have been used as public spaces in social movements throughout American history. How can we strive to make our public spaces inclusive? Can you think of public spaces that are not welcoming to people of certain identities now? What can we do as community members to make these spaces more inclusive?
2. Much of Simon’s work centers on food and its social meaning throughout history. What does food mean to you? How can food act as a community builder, an axis of power, or the basis for oppression? How do the decisions we make about the food we eat affect our communities?
3. In his book A Fabric of Defeat: The Politics of South Carolina Millhands, Simon examines the story of the white South Carolina Millhands and how their economic status shaped their views on other social issues, such as race and gender. While Simon pushes back against the perspective that the Millhands were violent and malicious, he does acknowledge that the worker mobilization that they engaged in was solely focused on white workers and excluded others. How do we ensure that our modern-day social movements are inclusive? What are the benefits of inclusivity and coalition building? 
4. Cheap food has become the norm in America. However, Bryant has written about how the production of cheap goods can have enormous physical and psychological impacts on laborers. How can we address the human cost of cheap food while also acknowledging the benefits of low food prices for many Americans? Is it possible to simultaneously support those in need of food and workers who are negatively impacted by mass food production?
5. Simon has written about the new Starbucks bathroom policy, which allows employees to deny people entry into their bathrooms if they are not customers. Do private firms, such as Starbucks, have an obligation to provide the wider community with certain services? Does the decline in the number of public bathrooms in the United States reflect anything about the relationship between private firms and the public? Should we work to change this trend? 
6. How can we be conscious consumers of products like those Bryant studies in cases where we have a limited budget? How can consumers stay aware of the negative effects that products we consume might have on laborers when most consumers are far removed from the actual production of the goods they consume?

Questions written by ACE fellow Etta Humes ’25

Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. is internationally recognized for his type-driven messages of social justice and Black power, emblazoned in rhythmically layered and boldly inked prints made for the masses. Borrowing words from civil rights heroes such as Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth, Kennedy issues fearless statements on race, capitalism, history, and politics — along with plenty of witty truisms — in his exuberant, colorful, and one-of-a-kind posters and handbills.

1. Kennedy Jr.’s art deals with a medium that is often overlooked in contemporary circles. Considering the immense effect the book arts, paper and fibre art, and even printing in general have on our contemporary society, why does printmaking seem to be so scarcely invoked or discussed by today’s most common or popular artistic tastes? Prior to learning of Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., what was your previous exposure to printmaking and what does the art form communicate differently than other graphical arts?
2. Amos Paul Kennedy Jr.’s work seeks to amplify the voices and commentary of historically and sometimes contemporarily contentious figures who advocated for radical change in the world of racial and socioeconomic justice. What does Kennedy Jr.’s work communicate about how societies view their instigators, and what questions do the messages he forwards instigate about your own observations of our contemporary political climate?
3. In response to artistic exclusivity, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. has made his disapproval of self-labels well known. In response to being asked why he dislikes calling himself an artist, he stated:  “Because I am not an artist. I am a human being who prints. I dislike labels because they are designed to exclude people. I print. I am human. We, as humans, have more in common than we have differences. Yet, we use the differences to define us.” How have labels been useful, unhelpful, or frustrating for you?
4. Kennedy Jr.’s art seeks to strike directly at injustices experienced during his youth, critiquing state and political violence, socioeconomic oppression, police brutality, stereotyping, and narratives used to justify those structures. In your work, either artistically or not, how do you apply your own experiences in conjunction with the experiences of others? How can these experiences inform your message, language, and philosophy?
5. Kennedy does not shy away from provocation in how he communicates. He uses contentious language in describing both his work and himself, forcing those who engage in his work to contend with the discomfort. What questions do artists like Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. seek to instigate by using language of this nature?
6. A study from 2019 reciprocated by Radix Printing and Publishing Cooperative shows that African American artists receive much less attention from major art museums.  Around 85.4% of the works in the collections of all major US museums belong to white artists, and 87.4% are by men.  What does Amos Paul Kennedy Jr.’s choice of engaging in printmaking tell us about his refusal to adapt to popular tastes?

Questions by ACE fellow Ashton Macklin ’27

Lawrence Jacobs is an American political scientist, founder, and director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. He has written extensively about American democracy, political communications, healthcare reform, and economic inequality.

1. What did you learn about how Jacobs’ individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. What skills or capacities does Jacobs suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
3. What is Jacobs’s desired future? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?
4. In his most recent book, Democracy Under Fire: Donald Trump and the Breaking of American History, Jacobs argues there have been changes to US political systems made under the guise of supporting democracy, which have, in actuality, eroded American democracy. How do we evaluate changes to our democracy as beneficial or hurtful?
5. Jacob also argues in Democracy Under Fire that direct and presidential primaries have pulled power away from elites, allowed for more extreme candidates on both sides and thus, harmed democracy. What should the role of elites be in democracy? Should they be mediating forces, or should they step aside to let other groups of people have a stronger influence on our democracy? How can we balance the ideals of democratization and inclusion with those of stability?
6. Jacobs argues in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law that the Affordable Care Act has gained a new level of public acceptance in recent years, causing many politicians who were initially opposed to the legislation, such as President-elect Trump, to change their stance on the ACA. Why has this shift occurred? Do you think that perceptions of what counts as an “American right” have changed to include healthcare? How could this influence how we think about our rights as Americans going forward?
7. Jacobs has written extensively about how democracy and politics change as different institutions become normalized. How do political institutions become legitimized and entrenched? What role do citizens and scholars play in this process?
8. Jacobs says that President-elect Trump has, in many ways, pushed the limits on what policy proposals are legitimate in our current political climate. However, as with his position on the ACA, some of his rhetoric has changed over time due to differences between his ideas and public opinion. When should politicians act as leaders, despite what the general public might think, and when should they defer to existing political consensus?
9. In some of his work, Jacobs has focused on the ways the election of Donald Trump represents a series of degradations of the democratic system. Going into the second term of Trump’s presidency, how do you think our democracy has changed in recent years, if at all? How has our role as citizens changed?
10. Jacobs has written on the Minnesota rural-urban divide, in particular how the language that Minnesota progressives have used to try to sway voters has actually ended up alienating certain voters from rural areas because they do not feel it accurately captures their situation. Using tools like language choices, how can we, as politically engaged citizens, help to create a common and inclusive vision for the future?
11. Jacobs argues that some rural voters feel like the taxes they pay are going towards urban centers rather than being spent in their communities. However, government spending in rural areas tends to be higher per capita than in urban areas. How can we determine what would be an equitable distribution of government resources? How can we ensure that all perspectives are heard on issues such as government spending and that they are given equal weight when making decisions?

Questions by ACE fellow Etta Humes ‘25.

Matika Wilbur is a critically acclaimed social documentarian that belongs to the Swinomish and Tulalip peoples of coastal Washington. Project 562, her crowdfunded initiative to visit, engage, and photograph people from over 500 sovereign Tribal Nations in North America, is her fourth major creative venture elevating Native American identity and culture

1. In her interview with NPR, Wilbur says that she tries to document both the struggles that Indigenous people face as well as the ways that Indigenous communities are thriving. What is the value of documenting both sides of this story? How does this compare with the dominant cultural narrative around Indigenous communities?
2. Matika Wilbur’s podcast – All My Relations – is organized to bring in Native voices from across the Americas. She notes: “This space is for everyone—for Native folks to be joyous, think critically about issues facing our communities, hear new perspectives, look into a mirror of self, and for non-Native folks to listen and learn.” What parts of the Native experience do you find yourself least informed about? What could you start to learn?
3. What comes to mind when you think of “Indigenous art?” Why? How has this viewpoint changed, if at all, from exposure to new information, either in a class at Carleton or from Matika Wilbur’s talk?
4. Wilbur talks about the difference between performative collaboration, such as being invited to be the representative of Indigenous people in a certain project without continuing partnership, and true, ongoing collaboration. What are some of the differences between these two forms of working with others? What are some examples of each of these in the Carleton context?
5. The United States has large populations of those with a young or recent migration history, who may feel detached from the history and lives of Indigenous peoples and their descendants. Do you feel there is a shared responsibility? How does Matika Wilbur’s talk help navigate you towards a better understanding of your role in truth and reconciliation?
6. In what ways has your background or environment detached you from-, or connected to, Indigenous life as a part of the American identity? How has learning about Indigenous lives and voices altered that?
7. In her interview with the New York Times, Wilbur says that over time, her work shifted from trying to correct the popular narrative around who Indigenous people are to trying to know Indigenous culture personally in a deeper way than she had before. What do you make of this statement? Do you think these two goals can coexist with each other?

1. Abby Kiesa’s political advocacy and lens has primarily been centered around the mobilization of youth toward political advocacy, and magnifying the awareness of their politics. What barriers do you feel exist not just in actualizing your politics, but making your politics represented? How has the speaker’s talk changed your consciousness towards your role in social politics?
2. In her interview with CSPAN, Kiesa says that one reason why voter registration is higher amongst members of Gen Z than previous generations is because young people are taking the lead and encouraging each other to be politically engaged. Have you seen this concept play out at Carleton? What are some ways that you personally could influence your peers to become politically active?
3. Depending on urbanization, many states can be more or less affected by their rural electorate. Kiesa and CIRCLE remarked during the 2020 election how significant these votes are. If you consider yourself from a rural background, do you feel this reflected in the current election, and if so, did it affect your decision to vote via mail-in? -to register in Minnesota? Did it affect your decision to vote at all?
4. Kiesa talks about how young people need access to resources to learn about what each political party and candidate stands for to create a more inclusive, informed political landscape. What are some ways that we could make this information more easily accessible to younger people? How can we ensure that this information is unbiased and accurate?
5. Kiesa says that, despite nationally higher Gen Z voter registration during the 2022 midterms, some individual states, most of them important swing states, did see a decline in voter registration for people aged 18-24. She partially attributes this to this demographic having a lack of information about the importance of voting and how to register. How can we ensure that all voters, regardless of age or location, have all of the information they need to be civically engaged? Is it possible to combat this problem on an individual level or would this take a collective effort?

THEDA SKOCPOL is the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University. An internationally recognized scholar, she has received multiple honorary degrees, most recently from Oxford University in 2022, and been elected to membership in all three U.S. scholarly honor societies

1. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. What skills or capacities does the speaker suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
3. In her interview with MPR News, Skocpol says that policy is not about abstract ideas, but rather about “who we are” and how to be better at being who we are. How do you interpret this statement? How can we as a society be more successful in implementing this ethos?
4. When speaking with Annual Reviews, Skocpol describes the importance of finding balance between her background as a Midwesterner from a family of farmers and her experiences working at an “elite” academic institution. What do you think is the importance of recognizing both of these identities? What are some ways that you balance your identity as a Carleton student with your personal background?
5. Theda Skocpol’s studies have generally centered around the role of the state in bringing about social change. What “ingredients” do you feel are necessary to bring awareness to injustices in your environment, and why? What responsibilities or roles do you place upon yourself in that “recipe”?
6. One of Prof. Skocpol’s first interactions with structural injustice was during her experience teaching at Rust College, an HBCU (Historically Black College/University). What social happenings have you observed in your life that have led you to developing questions about your environment? What were they, and how do they affect  how you navigate life?

After working in public service for 20 years Patricia Torres Ray ran for office in 2006 and became the first Latina elected to the Minnesota Senate. She has held multiple leadership roles in the Senate, including Majority Whip, Chair of the Parks and Trails Legacy Committee, Chair of the New Immigration Policy Commission, Chair of the Education Policy Committee and Chair of State and Local Government Committee. She is a native of Colombia, a Public Affairs graduate from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and a parent of two boys. Patricia’s Convocation is titled Immigration As Statement of Conscience. 

1. In her time in the Minnesota Senate, Torres Ray worked to ensure that people of color in the Legislature were included in the process of passing legislation that would primarily affect their communities, despite them being a minority in the Senate. What are some situations outside of the context of the government where this also might be important? What are actions one might take to ensure that they are being as inclusive as possible when involved in the process of making a decision that has consequences for groups of people they are not a part of?
2. Serving in Minnesota Public Service for 20 years, Patricia Torres Ray has been a face of advocacy for immigrant communities, herself being familiar with the challenges of that experience in an environment not created with minority demographics in mind. In Carleton’s case, residing in a small city, often distant from respective communities of origin. What ways can students, or others in similar positions, interact with their local government to make that environment more conducive to residency here?
3. There are challenges unique to Torres Ray’s identity as a woman that exist as a consequence of the environment constructed by her political predecessors – generally men. In your environment, how can awareness be brought to disadvantages built by those whose presence is historically overrepresented?
4. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Deborah Appleman is the Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies at Carleton College. She is the author of more than a dozen books on literacy education and her most recent book, Literature and the New Culture Wars, examines current political challenges in the teaching of literature. At Carleton, Professor Appleman teaches courses such as Educational Psychology, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, and Teenage Wasteland. She also mentors and supervises student teachers. She was Carleton’s second Posse mentor, and has served on a variety of elected committees including College Council, chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee

1. In her interview with The Hub, Appleman says that “[…] the purpose of literature is to unsettle you.” What do you make of this statement? Is there a limit to how uncomfortable a text that is taught in a classroom should be? Why or why not?
2. In her interview for the Media Library for Public Scholarship, Appleman describes how her work as a public scholar is dependent on building strong reciprocal relationships with the community members she works with. In what ways do you think building mutual relationships with others could help enhance your personal learning? What are ways that we could implement this idea in our classrooms at Carleton, even in instances where we aren’t necessarily working with community members?
3. For as long as materials could be published, institutions as well as individuals, scholars, and more have responded to works and their composers with calls for censure, censorship, defamation, and more. What makes the contemporary concept of “cancel culture” unique? What makes it “human?”
4. In her interview with Corbin, Appleman says that her main goal as a teacher is to give her students the tools to understand and think critically about the ideologies that exist around them. What do you make of this statement? How can students take this approach to their own learning?
5. In her interview with Corbin, Appleman says that her main goal as a teacher is to give her students the tools to understand and think critically about the ideologies that exist around them. What do you make of this statement? How can students take this approach to their own learning?
6. Experienced in years of collegiate and pre-collegiate teaching, Professor Appleman has observed the realities and challenges of adapting effective pedagogy upon both sides of the educational “great filter”. Noting the stark difference between students’ degree of independence from their educators between high school and college, how much of a role do their educators play  in constructing or validating academic self-censorship, taboo, or alienation, if at all?

Questions written by ACE Fellows Ashton Macklin ’27 and Lily Vargo ’25.

Beginning at age twelve through work with the Make A Wish Foundation, Jill has explored many different ways to give back to the community.  She has leveraged her education and experience in food nutrition and science to contribute to important projects such as leading food safety and HACCP trainings and developing environmentally friendly packaging solutions.  She has held positions in the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the School Nutrition Association, the USDA, Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move, Chefs Move to Schools” campaign, and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation Forum for Ethiopia. She currently serves as strategic officer for Food for Soul, an organization that focuses on enabling the transformation of people, places and food, by building a culture of value that will strengthen community resilience, open opportunities for social and economic mobility and build healthier and more equitable food systems.

1. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. What skills or capacities does the speaker suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
3. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?
4. What is the importance of Reffetorio’s emphasis on creating physical space for their programs in support of their food security mission?
5. Conklin has given back to the community in many different ways.  What are ways that we can provide support to vulnerable community members and create positive change beyond volunteering our time and donating money?
6. How do you find community around food in your own life? What is the value of cooking and eating with other people?

Questions written by ACE Fellow Katelyn Hemmer ‘24.

Pipo Nguyen-duy ‘83 is a professor of photography at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Before coming to Oberlin, he was a professional table tennis player in Vietnam, a monk in northern India, and an economics student here in Northfield. His work focuses on Vietnamese American identity and creating a sense of belonging between cultures.

1. What did you learn about how Nguyen-duy’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. What skills or capacities does Nguyen-duy suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities? Are there any you would like to incorporate into your work or daily living?
3.  What is the desired future that Nguyen-duy envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?
4. Nguyen-duy says that teaching provides him a sense of safety and belonging that he lacked growing up as a political refugee and that much of his current work is focused on showcasing trying to find “home” as someone whose life has taken place at the intersection of two cultures. What does having a sense of “home” mean? How can we cultivate this sense of security and belonging for all people at Carleton?
5. Early in his career, much of Nguyen-duy’s work focused on inserting himself into traditionally white roles, such as putting himself in classical European paintings or photographing himself dressed in clothes from the old American West. He says that he did this because dealing with issues as heavy and nuanced as racial power dynamics requires a “different set of languages,” like photography. What does he mean by this? What are some other ways that one could use an artistic medium to address a deeply personal or fraught issue?
6. Nguyen-duy highlights the importance of promoting art by artists of color and says that there are a variety of ways that both individuals and organizations as a whole could go about this. What are some structural ways that our societies and institutions could support artists of color and their work? What are some ways that individual people could go about doing this?
7. Nguyen-duy says that he is not bothered by critiques or people disliking his art because it gives him the opportunity to see new interpretations of his own work, even if he does not necessarily agree with what they are saying. What does he mean by this? How might one be able to apply this mindset to domains beyond the arts?

Questions written by ACE fellow Lily Vargo ‘25.

Fiona Hill is a senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. In November 2022, Hill was appointed chancellor of Durham University, U.K., a high-profile ceremonial and ambassadorial role. Hill is also currently a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin. She served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs on the U.S. National Security Council from 2017 to 2019, and as national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council from 2006 to 2009. In October and November 2019, Hill testified before Congress in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. She is author of “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century” and co-author with Clifford Gaddy of “Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin.”

1. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. What skills or capacities does the speaker suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
3. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?
4. Hill’s new memoir, There Is Nothing for You Here, takes its title from the words her father used when he encouraged her to leave England. In her time in the U.S., Hill says she has seen the country take progressively “darker turns,” including the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In an interview with NPR, she alludes to a path of autocracy that these darker turns lead to. How have you seen this march toward autocracy play out? Is your assessment understandable to someone of different political views?
5. Academic civic engagement stresses mutuality (reciprocity, mutual respect, shared power) in many of its tenets. Where do you see mutuality play out on the international stage?
6. What do you see as the appropriate role of higher education institutions in servicing geopolitical machinations? That is, what do you consider the optimal relationship between colleges and universities and governmental bureaus and intelligence agencies?
7. Reflecting on her testimony during Trump’s first impeachment trial, Fiona remarked how her team of lawyers first said,” ‘Well, we’ll need to have someone to do your hair and your makeup, and we’ll need to kind of figure out how you look on the day.” And I felt, “Really? Do they do this for men as well?’ … I always thought when I was younger, like ‘God, I’m not going to be 14 forever, and eventually this won’t matter.’ And you get to be 54 and it still matters, particularly if you’re a woman.” What changes must be pursued, both individually and at the societal level, to decenter these gendered norms – particularly where they are most salient (national television, formal gatherings, etc)?

Questions written by ACE Fellow Juan Garcia Reyes ‘26.

Françoise Baylis is a professor of philosophy at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and bioethics researcher. Her 2020 book, Altered Inheritance: CRISPR and the Ethics of Human Genome Editing addresses genetic editing technologies such as CRISPR and their ethical ramifications.

1. The technology surrounding gene editing is rapidly developing and becoming more accessible.  Who should be making the decisions about how this technology is used and who gets to use it? Who is making those decisions now? 
2. What do you make of the technological advances that could allow us to pick and choose which genetic traits our children will have? Is it ethical to edit genes that might lead to physical health issues? Is it ethical to edit genes that might lead to mental health issues? What about developmental disorders or learning disabilities? 
3. We are witnessing both a rapid advancement in reproductive technology and a restriction of reproductive rights across much of the United States.  How can both of these happen at the same time? Do rulings such as the designation of embryos outside of the body as children in Alabama restrict research and development in the field of reproductive technology? 
4. Procedures such as IVF and other reproductive technologies in the U.S. are only available to those with money to pay for them.  What are the implications of technologies such as CRISPR being used by only the rich and powerful?
5. The practice of surrogacy is becoming more popular and accepted.  Is the practice of surrogacy, especially when surrogates are financially compensated, ethical? What are the implications of commodifying the experience of carrying a child to term?
6. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Françoise Baylis suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Questions written by ACE fellow Katelyn Hemmer ‘24.

Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and a faculty member of FSI’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL). Dr. Fukuyama has written widely on issues in development and international politics. His most recent book is “Liberalism and Its Discontents”

1. What did you learn about how the Fukuyama’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. Francis Fukuyama is an American writer and political theorist perhaps best known for his belief that the triumph of liberal democracy at the end of the Cold War marked the last ideological stage in the progression of human history. Since then, a rise in autocracy and democratic backsliding has been observed. What is compromised when liberal democracies are forcibly instilled? 
3. How does Western hegemony obscure other modes of knowing? 
4. Fukuyama lived at the Telluride House and has been affiliated with the Telluride Association since his undergraduate years at Cornell. The organization states its mission as providing young people with free educational programs emphasizing intellectual curiosity, democratic self-governance, and social responsibility. How are civic norms standardized through education? 
5. What are possible global outcomes that will emerge in the year 2024? 
6. What skills or capacities does Fukuyama suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
7. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Questions written by ACE fellow Juan Garcia Reyes ‘26.

Jerron Herman is a dancer, choreographer, and writer based in New York City, NY. His work focuses on his experiences as someone with a physical disability in the dance industry.

1. What did you learn about how Herman’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. What skills or capacities does Herman suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities? Are there any you would like to incorporate into your work or daily living?
3.  What is the desired future that Herman envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?
4. In his interview with Gibney Dance, Herman says that moving his body is a form of liberation and “communicating freedom” with others. What does he mean by this? What might “communicating freedom” look like in disciplines outside of dance?
5. Herman says that while the pieces he has choreographed are more accessible to people with disabilities, this accessibility does not come out of an active effort to be inclusive, but rather from a place of pure creativity. What are some other ways that artists could use accessibility tools to make their art not only more accessible to people with disabilities, but more engaging for everyone?
6. In his interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, Herman talks about his views of accessibility compared to the dominant cultural ideas of accessibility. He says that while he agrees with the general view that athletes and artists should receive special physical training to be able to participate in certain activities, there also needs to be more opportunities created specifically for disabled people in these areas. What are some other ways in which activities like dance could use peoples’ disabilities as an asset rather than viewing it as something to correct? How might this manifest in the visual arts in works like the current exhibit at the Perlman Teaching Museum?
7. In his interview with Gibney dance, Herman talks about the importance of having academic interests that extend beyond one’s specific career goals and how deeply investing in these interests instead of treating them as hobbies can lead to more creativity in one’s main field. What does it mean to truly “invest” in an interest outside of a career field? What might this look like outside of a liberal arts setting like Carleton, where it might be more difficult to have the time or resources to explore different academic interests?
8. When talking to Berlin Art Link, Herman says that one of the most important things that audiences can do to create more acceptance of disabled dancers is to create a relationship with the disabled community rather than focusing on transactional or superficial ways of expressing support. What are the key differences between these two ways of interacting with accessibility and acceptance? What might these concepts look like in a real-life context?
9. Herman talks more about the “interdependent” relationship between audiences and performers in his interview with Disability Arts Online, saying that if certain audience members find his pieces inaccessible or not inclusive enough, it is their responsibility to create something that meets these expectations. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this approach to creating inclusivity?
10. In his piece for Art Papers, Herman writes about experiencing an injury right before starting rehearsals for a new piece. Wanting to stay focused on his work, he tried to dance on his injury, which ultimately worsened it. He says that after this experience, he decided to “speak before [his] body does.” How could this perspective on resting be applied beyond the world of dance? What are some structural reasons why certain people might be more inclined than others to advocate for their own physical needs?

Note: Jerron Herman’s convocation is occurring during the same week that Towards A Warm Embrace is opening at the Perlman Teaching Museum at Carleton. The exhibit focuses on visual artwork showcasing the experiences of people with disabilities and accessibility and will be open from January 11 to April 14, 2024.

Questions written by ACE fellow Lily Vargo ‘25.

Lis Frost ‘99 is a lawyer based in Washington, D.C., practicing in the areas of constitutional and election law, with a strong focus on protecting and defending voting rights.

1. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
2. What skills or capacities does Lis Frost suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
3. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?
4. How can colleges promote voter turnout when their students are often from different and scattered districts (not to mention international citizens)? What responsibilities do students have in this?
5. Lis is a partner with Elias Law Group, which has it as their mission to “help Democrats win, citizens vote, and progressives make change.” Her litigation efforts have centered around areas of constitutional and election law, with a strong focus on protecting and defending voting rights. In what ways do you see partisanship influencing voter participation, redistricting litigation, and judicial rulings?
6. Are you registered to vote?

Sources

https://www.elias.law/team/elisabeth-frost 
https://www.carleton.edu/alumni/news/events/?eId=unge

1. Much of Jack’s work focuses on uncovering the “hidden curriculum” that might not be accessible or apparent to students from lower-income families, such as not knowing what office hours are or not knowing how to ask for letters of recommendation. What are some examples of how this phenomenon presents itself at Carleton?
2. In an interview with the Harvard Gazette, Jack recalls being stuck on Amherst’s campus during spring break and struggling to figure out where to find food and how to afford it, despite having some advantages in college due to being a member of the “privileged poor.” Problems like this are common but oftentimes overlooked by wealthy institutions, according to Jack. What are some strategies that could be implemented at Carleton to make it easier for students to have access to basic necessities like food and shelter, no matter what time of year it may be?
3. In an interview for the New York Times, Jack says that he does not believe that he would have gotten into Amherst, an “elite” institution, without the college considering his socioeconomic status and other adversities he faced in addition to his academic merits. What are some ways that the college admissions process could be changed to ensure that students from all backgrounds continue to have equal access to higher education?
4. Jack talks extensively about the fact that he feels that the privileged poor and the doubly disadvantaged are left out of sociological research into education. Are there any other identities that either you or your peers hold that are not commonly represented in research about education?
5. Food insecurity was brought up above, what other class differences/divides have you encountered at Carleton?
6. Do you think Carleton has socioeconomic diversity? For reference, here are Carleton’s goals for 2033 as they pertain to economic diversification.
7. Higher ed institutions are often touted as the engines of social mobility: over half of low-income students who enrolled in college advanced to one of the two highest income quintiles within 10 years. A complementary property to the social capital that Jack talks about is that of class culture (norms and values formed in response to economic realities). What, if anything, is lost when someone’s class status progresses upwards?  
8. What did you learn about how Jack’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
9. What skills or capacities does Jack suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
10. What is the desired future that Jack envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?
    
    https://youtu.be/j7w2Gv7ueOc
    https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/04/toward-a-path-less-riddled/
    https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/education/27grad.html
    https://harvardpolitics.com/the-privileged-poor-an-interview-with-anthony-abraham-jack/

1. What roles do museums play in bridging academics and community? What modes of knowing are privileged in these spaces? How can they incorporate local knowledge into exhibits?
2. Dr Eric Jolly places a great importance on education as “a liberating force”. In what ways do you see that reflected in academic civic engagement? He continues describing education as “a source of power, of access and of opportunity.” Who does this apply to when community members are involved?
3. What are the power dynamics inherent to philanthropic missions? How else could you characterize them? 
4. Dr. Eric Jolly has commented on the importance of interrogating standard practices in community involvement. Can community engagement be standardized? If yes, what would that entail? If not, how does one calibrate interventions to advance both the community’s and college’s shared priorities? 
5. In what ways do the approaches of STEM disciplines and humanistic fields to academic civic engagement differ or appear similar? What separates the two? 
6. What did you learn about how Dr. Jolly’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Dr. Jolly suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Dr. Jolly envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

1) V-Dem looks at democracy on the national level across the globe. Can democracy be measured at the state and local levels? If yes, how would you do so? What are some ways that democracy might break down at the local or state levels? Do you think democracy is strong in your hometown (or here in Northfield)? 

2) The five main elements Ingemar identifies as prominent in countries that are bouncing back from autocratization are: large-scale popular mobilization, independent judicial systems, opposition forces that work with civil society and each other, elections, and international support and involvement. Are you surprised by any of these elements? How do you think these elements work together in pushing for democracy? Which of these elements do you see in your own country? In the US?

3) In an interview on the annual V-Dem democracy report, Lindberg commented on the US election fraud controversy by saying “the whole legitimacy of the democratic system [of the US] is in question.” What do you think about this statement? In what ways do you think this statement is true and false? Do you think legitimacy is still something to strive for, or does it not matter if the government still functions?

4) When discussing the role of elected parties in causing democratic breakdown, Lindberg states, “it’s with selling those narratives and convincing people about those narratives that really gives them power.” What has been the role of narratives and charisma in your own political experiences? Do you think that they play a larger role in political engagement or a smaller one compared to something like policy? 

5) On the topic of disinformation and social media, especially in regards to informative voting, Lindberg explained, “I think we have to find ways to regulate and filter freedom of speech in order to save it.” What are your experiences with free speech on social media? What are your experiences with regulation of free speech online? How do these experiences shape your ideas on the issue and any possible solutions you have?

6) What are the ways in which you participate in democracy? Do you participate beyond voting, and if so, in what ways? If not, what are the reasons behind your lack of participation? Do you think that, in the US, democracy needs to be worked for continuously, or do you think that in the US democracy is a given?

Questions by Peace Conflict and Democracy Fellow Suwannee Conroy-Baarsch

1. Share your favorite thrifted, “free box”, garage sale or Lighten Up find.

2. Carleton’s zero waste student move out program, Lighten Up, collects an average of 50,000 pounds a year of student material that is resold garage sale-style to the local community. Have you participated in Lighten Up? Do you have suggestions for Lighten Up? Send suggestions to lightenup@carleton.edu

3. How do you plan for the “end of usefulness to you” for the items that you purchase? 

4. In Secondhand, Minter starts with the question: What happens to people’s stuff when they die? At Carleton, what happens to your stuff when you graduate?

5. Minter puts consumerism in perspective on a local and global scale. How do you view consumerism on a local and global scale? How do you see the different scales of consumerism impacting your own life?

6. How does the second hand market address income inequities and environmental justice?

7. How do waste cycles relate to environmental justice? Do you know where your waste goes and the consequences associated with it? Does your waste go to a landfill? Incinerator? Recycling facility (how much is recycled)? Compost facility?

Questions created by the CCCE Lighten Up team and the Food and Environmental Justice Cohort

Gregg Colburn researches topics related to housing and homelessness. He is also actively involved in community efforts to address the acute housing shortage in the Puget Sound region. While at Carleton he will be speaking about his recently published book, Homelessness is a Housing Problem. 

1. Where do you see the Not in My Backyard and Yes in My Backyard mindsets in your own life?
2. On his website, Colburn says that he has found through his research that rates of homelessness cannot be fully attributed to individual characteristics, like income level or mental health. Despite this, many of the dominant narratives around homelessness in our country still revolve around the actions of the individual as an explanation for their situation. What are some ways in which you can change the way you talk about homelessness to reflect this reality?
3. Colburn discusses the way governing bodies have to navigate the tension between short term and long term solutions. Part of this phenomenon, he says, can be explained by the fact that many people do not believe that investing in long-term solutions to homelessness will be effective in solving the problem, so policymakers need to better demonstrate to the public the value of doing so. What are some ways that policymakers can show the general public that these solutions are worth spending money on? What are some ways you see this tension in your own life?
4. What role, if any, should private corporations play in trying to solve the housing crisis? What might this look like in Northfield?
5. What are the benefits and drawbacks of involving people who aren’t specialists in housing but have a large amount of resources to contribute?
6. Colburn argues for the decommodification of housing as a solution to the housing crisis, and points to public schools as an example of something that is decommodified. What is another example of something we acquire through public mechanisms?
7. While some people view the goals of sustainable development and affordable housing as oppositional, Colburn suggests that there are ways that we can build sustainable residential areas without driving up prices. What are some ideas you have for designing cities that are sustainable without being inaccessible?

Questions written by the ACE fellows in collaboration with the Housing (Food and Environmental Justice and Health and Belonging) fellows.

1. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is an artist and climate change activist that has been speaking publicly about the importance of protecting our environment since he was six years old.  He inspires others through hip-hop, drawing on the long history of hip-hop music as a way of speaking out about social justice issues. How can artists reach different audiences than other activists? What is the value of art within the environmental protection movement?
2. Where do you see efforts towards sustainability achieve the most success? How can we measure success in the climate crisis?
3. Often it is the responsibility of a perpetrator to rectify their wrongs, but in the case of the climate crisis, it is a collective, if not still imbalanced, problem. Who then is responsible for driving change? Do you agree with X that “the change that we need is not going to come from a politician, from an orangutan in office, it’s going to come from something that’s always been the driver of change – people power, power of young people.”
4. Xiuhtezcatl Martinez has been outspoken about environmental protection and other social justice issues his entire life, going so far as to give multiple TED talks and speak before the United Nations multiple times before the age of 18.  What effect does it have when a child speaks to adults about social and environmental justice issues? What effect does it have when a peer with a platform speaks about social and environmental justice issues?
5. What did you learn about how X’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?
6. What skills or capacities does Xiuhtezcatl suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities? 
7. What is the desired future that X envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Arjun Singh Sethi is a community activist, civil rights lawyer, and writer based in Washington, D.C. He works closely with Muslim, Arab, South Asian, and Sikh communities and is an expert in policing, the war on terror, and racial and religious profiling. He also advises foundations and nonprofits on rapid-response organizing, advocacy campaigns, and public policy. Sethi is particularly active on domestic and international surveillance issues and pre-arrest police-civilian encounters, including consensual stops, predictive policing, location tracking, biometric data collection, and countering violent extremist programs.

Sethi’s work has appeared in numerous national outlets, including CNN, The Guardian, Politico Magazine, USA Today, and The Washington Post, and he has been widely quoted in print, radio, and television, including by The New York Times, The Independent, BBC World Radio, and NPR. In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, Sethi traveled the country and met with a diversity of people and documented the hate they experienced in connection with the election. In his book, American Hate: Survivors Speak Out, survivors tell their stories in their own words.

Sethi presently serves as co-chair of the American Bar Association’s National Committee on Homeland Security, Terrorism, and Treatment of Enemy Combatants and has served as a legal observer across the world. He began his career as a government affairs and litigation associate at the international law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., where he represented victims of domestic violence, asylum-seekers, national security detainees, and criminal defendants on death row. Sethi is a graduate of New York University Law School and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. 

1. In an article about a white supremacist attack in Portland in 2017, Sethi wrote “Coalitions of diverse professionals, including teachers, coaches, public health professionals, counselors, and community leaders, should develop programming and interventions to track, treat and curb hate locally.” What opportunities and challenges arise when trying to enact change at a local level? How can we “track, treat and curb hate locally”? 

2. According to his bio, “Professor Sethi is particularly active on domestic and international surveillance issues and pre-arrest police-civilian encounters, including consensual stops, predictive policing, location tracking, biometric data collection, and countering violent extremist programs”. How can community organizing be useful when advocating for change in security and surveillance policies? Do you know of any local initiatives that tackle similar issues?

3. How have Sethi’s academic experiences influenced his social justice work or vice versa? How has he bridged the gap between academia and activism? 

4. Sethi has published his work in numerous national outlets, including CNN, The Guardian, Politico Magazine, USA Today, and The Washington Post, and he has been widely quoted in print, radio, and television, including by The New York Times, The Independent, BBC World Radio, and NPR. What are the benefits of having such a visible platform for advocating for social change? Can you think of any challenges?

5. In an article titled “The un-American way to tackle extremism”, Sethi suggests we should aim to create “a culture in which Muslim and Arab Americans are celebrated as part of the American experience rather than denigrated as a stain on it”. In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision? 

6. What skills or capacities does Sethi suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?

Discussion Questions written by Valentina Guerrero Chala (’24), Peace Conflict and Democracy Fellow with the Center for Community and Civic Engagement

Jim McCorkell ‘90 is the founder and former CEO of College Possible, a national nonprofit organization making college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support.  He currently consults with a variety of clients, with an emphasis on helping social entrepreneurs create, grow and scale their efforts.

As CEO at College Possible, Jim was responsible for leading strategic organizational development, engaging and building relationships with national partners, and championing the organization’s commitment to creating more college graduates. Over his 20 year tenure, the organization grew from a start-up in his spare bedroom into a national organization operating in seven American cities, reaching 25,000 low-income students, with an annual budget of $30 million. Under Jim’s leadership, the organization helped 98% of its students earn admission to college, and he helped raise nearly $150 million.

Jim is a graduate of Carleton College and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. His work has been recognized with many awards, including the Ashoka Fellowship, alumni achievement awards from Carleton and Harvard, and the Executive Leadership Award of Excellence from the Nation College Attainment Network. He has served on many boards over the years, and now serves with Reading Partners Twin Cities.

Since leaving College Possible, Jim focuses on sharing his hard-earned wisdom by coaching and developing leaders through his consulting practice, Excelerate Consulting, as well as teaching, and serving on nonprofit boards.  

He lives in St. Paul, MN with his wife, Dr. Christine Greenhow, their son Jack, and their golden retrievers, Milly and Maddy. 

1. Jim McCorkell was a low-income, first-generation student at Carleton. In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, McCorkell talked about Carleton being his introduction to “a life I hadn’t really been exposed to before.” In what ways was coming to Carleton an adjustment for you? How did your family structure, lived experience, and social identities impact your transition to Carleton? 

2. Professor Paul Wellstone was an important mentor for McCorkell at Carleton. Wellstone used to say: “Leadership is calling on people to be their own best selves.” How can you call on people to be their own best selves? What can you do to bring out the best in others in any setting? 

3. In an article for Higher Learning Advocates, McCorkell cites a statistic from a Strada-Gallup poll, saying that, “a mentor who encourages a student’s goals and dreams is the single most important factor in whether a college graduate finds success in work and in life.” What role have mentors played in your high school and/or college experiences so far? 

4. McCorkell says that College Possible is about “paying it forward.” He was able to get where he is because of his mentors, and he wants other low-income students to have access to mentorship as well. Who has helped you get where you are? Consider ways you could “pay it forward” in your future endeavors. How might that align with your Carleton or post-Carleton plans and goals?  

5. What did you learn about how McCorkell’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?

6. What skills or capacities does McCorkell suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities? What can you do to learn those skills?

7. What is the desired future that McCorkell envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Christy S. Coleman has served as the Chief Executive Officer of some of the nation’s most prominent museums. She’s a tireless advocate for the power of museums, narrative correction, diversity and inclusiveness. Ms. Coleman is an innovator and leader in the museum field having held leadership roles at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the American Civil War Museum. She now serves as the Executive Director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

Ms. Coleman is the recipient of numerous awards for her decades of impact, including three Honorary Doctorates. In 2018, Time Magazine named her one of the 31 People Changing the South and in 2019, Worth Magazine named her one of 29 Women Changing the World. She’s written numerous articles, is an accomplished screenwriter, public speaker and has appeared on several national news and history programs.

She served as the historical consultant for the award-winning film Harriett and Showtime’s Good Lord Bird. She’s most recently appeared in award winning documentaries, Grant, Abraham Lincoln, Black Patriots: Civil War Heroes, Neutral Ground, and When The Monuments Came Down.

1. In a talk about intentional museums given at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archeologuy & Ethnology, Coleman said: “History has never been for the dead, it has always been about the living. Our extensive knowledge and increasing knowledge about what we understand about the past has been brought about because of the questions that we are asking of ourselves in the present. We are looking for grounding. We’re looking for connection. We are still looking to belong.” 
   How has history influenced your lived experiences? 

2. In the same talk as the quote above, Coleman reflected on community-engaged scholarship and the role of academic institutions such as museums within communities:“We have to really be listening to our communities and provide them what they want versus this is what we think you need.” 
   If you have done community-engaged coursework or scholarship at Carleton or in the past, what was that experience like? What does it look like to listen to what a community needs? What are the challenges and rewards of doing ethical community-engaged scholarship? 

3. Christy Coleman’s website displays the following quote: “We’ll never get right with each other until we get our shared history right.” What does this quote mean to you? What does it mean to get history “right”?  

4. What did you learn about how Coleman’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?

5. What skills or capacities does Coleman suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities? What can you do to learn those skills?

6. What is the desired future that Coleman envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

1. Pence’s textbook “Medical Ethics: Accounts of Ground-Breaking Cases” is considered a fixture in the field of medical ethics. Where does knowledge about the ethics of community and civic engagement come from? How might these sources compare and contrast with those of medical ethics?
2. Pence’s textbook “Medical Ethics: Accounts of Ground-Breaking Cases” has been published since 1990. In the book, Pence follows up on famous cases 5, 10, and 20 years later. What could be the benefits and challenges of this approach in medical ethics? Could this approach be applied to the ethics of community engagement? What could be some benefits and challenges in that context?
3. In an interview about his new book Pandemic Bioethics, Pence said he believes that “everyone who lived through the COVID-19 pandemic has been changed fundamentally.”
   1. Has living through the COVID-19 pandemic changed how you approach civic engagement work?
   2. What has changed or stayed the same through the COVID-19 pandemic with your civic engagement work?
4. Pence explains that “With every bioethical issue I write about, I try to present it in historical context, whether it’s allocating organs to recipients or AIDS.” How do you interact with historical context in your civic engagement work?
5. The Early Medical School Acceptance Program at University of Alabama at Birmingham, of which Pence is director, describes its goals: “While classroom success is crucial, it’s important that EMSAP students develop skills for independent thought and expression, emotional maturity, and sound moral judgment.” Is there anything you would add to this list? What skills would you consider “important” for students participating in civic engagement?
6. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does the speaker suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

1. Noisecat notes that within modern ways of thinking, there is a large separation between humans and the world humans live in. This separation, Noisecat argues, leads to exploitation and extraction from nature. What can we do to merge the two entities into a holistic way of knowing? 
2. In an interview with the Post Carbon Institute, Noisecat highlights art and creativity as reasons for hope as the world enters into an era of environmental catastrophe. How does art and creativity positively impact your community? 
3. Noisecat states in an interview with CNBC that, beyond addressing climate change,  “We also need to figure out how to have a more reciprocal and just relationship with the resources and the natural world that sustain us.” What are ways that you can have a more just and reciprocal relationship with the natural world?
4. In an interview with France 24, Noisecat describes indigenous people as being “post-apocalyptic people” who have important wisdom and leadership skills as the modern world faces apocalyptic challenges. In times of crisis, who do you look to for guidance? 
5. In an interview, Noisecat’s mother, Alex Roddy, describes Noisecat’s early fascination with indigenous history, particularly a TV series called 500 Nations. Roddy believes that the series was an important part of how Noisecat came to understand his indigenous identity. What materials and relationships have helped you understand your identities?
6. Noisecat notably facilitated an event remembering the 50th anniversary of the occupation of Alcatraz by sailing eighteen canoes representing different indigenous groups across San Francisco Bay. What anniversaries are important in your community? When you celebrate them, what are you remembering?
7. What did you learn about how Noisecat’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience?
8. What skills or capacities does Noisecat suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
9. What is the desired future that Noisecat envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

1. Define America, a culture change organization, was founded in 2011 by Vargas and professionals from the media in order to bring attention to the stories of immigration in America. This sparked a debate on what it really means to be “American”. What connects us to a nation? What does it mean to be a part of a community? What are some similarities and differences between belonging to a nation and belonging to a community?
2. Define America advocates for undocumented immigrants by sharing stories, starting campaigns, and engaging young people in the issues. How can we advocate for people who are not in positions of power and do not have access to resources (such as government programs for people who are undocumented)? What does support look like? Thinking about positionality, how can we use our resources to better aid our community? 
3. In his essay, My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant, Vargas recounts the fear involved in living without legal documentation. Even though he had “lived the American Dream”, he rarely trusted people enough to disclose his identity as an undocumented person.  How can we build trust within our community? What does that look like? 
4. Vargas produced a documentary called “White People”, in which he discusses “what it means to be young and white in a demographically-changing America”. This documentary was praised for the ways Vargas facilitated the conversation in a non-threatening way. Rice county is 80.2% white (not Hispanic or Latino) with a relatively large Hispanic population of 9% and a Black and African American population of 6.6% according to the 2021 census. What do productive discussions on ethnic demographics and issues look like? How can we create a space where it feels safe to talk about issues relating to race? How does a mosaic of ethnicities create a community?
5. Despite the praise given to Vargas’ documentary, it was criticized for promoting “white guilt”, the belief that white people have a collective responsibility for the harm done to racial minorities in the past and present. How do we talk about power structures pertaining to race without inflicting “white guilt”? Is it something that we need to avoid? Is it on the facilitators, like Vargas and other BIPOC creators to manage this feeling? Do we see “white guilt” as something constructive or destructive in talks about race? 
6. What skills or capacities does Vargas suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
7. What is the desired future that Vargas envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

1. In this interview with Brown University, where she earned her Masters of Public Affairs, Alex Barba describes the skills she uses in her work as Director of Strategy & Chief of Staff for Colorado Outbreak Response Coordination: “There is great value in hard skills — understanding data and data visualization, for example, is invaluable in governmental policy — but what has proved most useful in this role is my ability to work with groups, to quickly read and summarize a policy paper, to give an effective presentation.” Which skills are valuable to your civic engagement work? Do the “most useful” skills change from day to day?
2. In an interview with Brown University, Barba says her current position “is expanding my range, challenging me in new and different ways every day, and putting me in contact with the higher-ups in the world of Colorado policy.” Do you feel challenged by civic engagement? How so? Who does it put you in contact with?
3. Barba talks about her experience participating in three OCS programs at Carleton: I learned about cultures and people living completely different lives from myself or anyone I’d ever known … and learned a great deal about my own capacities and limitations.” What are the similarities and differences between Barba’s experiences studying abroad and your experiences conducting civic engagement work in Rice County? What are some limitations you have run into?
4. On her LinkedIn profile, Barba describes herself as a “cross-functional professional with a proven background in team & project management, policy analysis, political science research, and literary editing.” How would you define a “cross-functional professional”? Are students conducting civic engagement work “cross-functional”?
5. According to her LinkedIn profile Barba is a ProsciⓇ Certified Change Practitioner. Prosci offers a Change Management Certification Program, which they describe as an “engaging, interactive, three-day learning experience” that gives participants “the knowledge, skills and tools to drive successful change.” Outside of professional training programs, how else might one acquire the knowledge, skills and tools needed to facilitate change? Is there an advantage to having an official certification on your resume?
6. Barba is quoted in a February 2021 article about Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline, which was “experiencing extreme wait times.” She explains that “we are addressing every single customer and question they have to the best of our ability” What role does individual connection play in your civic engagement work? Have you encountered any challenges that the best of your ability can’t resolve? What resources and tools do you use in those situations?
7. What did you learn about how Barba’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
8. What skills or capacities does Barba suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities? Are there any you would like to incorporate into your work or daily living?
9. What is the desired future that Barba envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Born to a Filipino mother and Malayali Indian father, Aimee Nezhukumatathil (neh-ZOO / koo-mah / tah-TILL) is the author of four books of poetry: Oceanic (Copper Canyon 2018), Lucky Fish (2011), winner of the Hoffer Grand Prize for Prose and Independent Books; At the Drive-In Volcano (2007); and Miracle Fruit (2003), all from Tupelo Press. Her collection of nature essays, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, was published by Milkweed in 2020. With Ross Gay, she co-authored Lace & Pyrite, a chapbook of nature poems (Organic Weapon Arts, 2014). Aimee Nezhukumatathil is also known for her dynamic and joy-filled teaching. Equally at ease in a university or high school classroom, she often serves as a poetry “ambassador,” bringing the delights and joys of reading and writing poetry to classrooms all over the country. She has twice served as a faculty member for the Kundiman Asian American Writers’ Retreat. Her books are widely adopted for high schools, colleges, and universities as part of contemporary poetry, women’s studies, and Asian-American literature classes. She has been a featured reader at over a hundred venues across the globe from Amsterdam to Singapore. In 2014, Nezhukumatathil became one of the country’s youngest poets to achieve the rank of full Professor of English. During the 2016-17 academic year, Nezhukumatathil was the John and Renee Grisham Writer-in-Residence at The University of Mississippi. She is now professor of English and teaches environmental literature and poetry writing in the MFA program of the University of Mississippi. 

1. In an interview with fellow poet and professor Ross Gay, Aimee Nezhukumatathil was asked about the importance of wonder. She said: 

“Look around us—just about every hurt we see in the news is caused by a person’s lack of imagination, a lack of curiosity about their fellow human beings, a lack of wonder. How could I not want to set the groundwork for my sons so they grow to be curious adults who let themselves be filled with awe, unapologetically. How could I not wish to celebrate and cultivate wonder now?” 

Who are the people in your life who have shown you what a sense of wonder looks like? 

Can you think of times in your life when hurt was caused by a lack of curiosity or wonder? 

2. In an interview with NPR, when asked if she ever loses that sense of wonder, Nezhukumatathil responded: 

“Every day. Every day, and then double that during a pandemic. My hope is that it’s a practice. As with anything, it’s a practice, it’s work.” 

When have you felt as though you were losing your sense of wonder? What do you do to practice your sense of wonder? What activities, places, plants, animals, or people make you feel wonder? 

3. Much of Nezhukumatathil’s writing draws from her experiences living as an Asian American in the United States. She describes nature as a refuge where she didn’t need to explain herself or her family. Nezhukumatathil also writes about the lack of representation of people of color, specifically Asia Americans, in the outdoors. 

How do your identities shape the ways you interact with the natural world? Is the outdoors a place you feel comfortable? What feelings and memories does the outdoors bring up for you, and are those feelings and memories related to your identities? 

4. Nezhukumatathil’s writing blends scientific language and natural history facts with stunning imagery and emotional storytelling. In an interview with Melissa Sevigny, Nezhukumatathil says her “not-so-dirty secret” is that she reads more science and natural history books than she does literature. 

Do you feel more comfortable writing and thinking in one discipline (Biology, English, Philosophy, Geology, etc.) than in another? Are there ways that these disciplines intersect at Carleton? What aspects of different disciplines resonate with you and why? 

Carleton French professor Cathy Yandell will deliver the 2022 A&I convo on September 23.

1. Some of Cathy Yandell’s work “addresses the question of “learning through the body” or
   Renaissance ways of understanding the world through bodily images, references, and
   paradigms”. (source) Can you think of ways that people “learn through the body” today?
2. What “ways of knowing” or types of knowledge do you think are most valued at Carleton?
   Why? What other “ways of knowing” can you think of? How have you experienced these
   different ways of knowing? What is the value of learning in different ways and from different
   sources?

Questions for Mona Chalabi: “Taking the Numb Out of Numbers”

Mona Chalabi is a journalist who really loves numbers. She is the Data Editor of The Guardian where she writes articles, produces documentaries, and illustrates and animates data. After analyzing statistics for the United Nations, Chalabi saw how important data was, but also how easily it could be used by people with their own specific agendas. Since then, her work for organizations like Transparency International and The Guardian has had one goal: to make sure as many people as possible can find and question the data they need to make informed decisions about their lives.

With an inimitable visual style that strays far from cold and clinical graphs and charts, Chalabi has built a career highlighting neglected information through her striking data illustrations.

https://monachalabi.com/data-visualisation/#translations

1. Chalabi states that her goal is “to make sure as many people as possible can find and question the data they need to make informed decisions about their lives.” How have you used data to navigate your life and engage with your community? 
2. After analyzing statistics for the United Nations, Chalabi saw “how important data was, but also how easily it could be used by people with their own specific agendas.” Why is it easy for people to appropriate data for their own agendas? What are some strategies that can help us see through them? When we use data, how can we make sure we are not appropriating it for our own agendas?
3. In this article, anthropologist Sally Engle Merry outlines the pitfalls of large-scale indicator-based quantification, especially for social justice work and global governance. What is so “seductive” about numbers? 
4. Chalabi’s work in data journalism ranges from updating Du Bois’ data on racism to investigating the correlation of recession and sex, to hypothesizing the demographics of heaven. How do you think about ‘breadth vs. depth’ of one’s work? In what ways can working on and thinking about various topics and issues deepen/lessen our understanding and appreciation of particular topics? 
5. How does Chalabi’s background and personal experiences (example) impact the way she thinks about civic engagement and inform the way she engages in her local, national and global communities? How do you think your background and experience influences the way you think about your engagement with communities?
6. What skills or capacities does Chalabi suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you have those skills or capacities? Is it something you want to develop?
7. What is the future that Chalabi envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Questions for Phil Chan ’06, AAPI Month Convocation

1. The vision of the Final Bow for Yellowface, an organization co-founded by Phil Chan, underscores the effects of outdated and offensive stereotypes of Asians in ballet, “If all audiences see is the bobbing and shuffling coolie from a bygone era as the only representation of Asians on stage, what message does that send to our Asian students who dream of dancing the Swan Queen? What does that say to the Asian audience members who want to see themselves on stage, only to find themselves as the butt of the joke? What does that say to the Board member, who writes checks and involves their friends, only to see a one-dimensional representation of their heritage?” Why do you think it is important to take into account the stakes of different groups in a particular issue? What are some challenges you have encountered in engaging variously positioned groups with a cause and what are some strategies to overcome them? 
2. In an article about the restaging of a ballet pantomime called the Ballet des Porcelaines (also known as The Teapot Prince) by Chan and his collaborators, Chan says “It was fun to work within the constraints of what it actually was originally… The ‘rules of the game’ were that I had to use what the libretto says matching with the music. But how, then, could I bend the work outside of those rules? How could I interpret the libretto in a slightly different way for a contemporary audience?” Which “rules of the game” have you interacted with in the context of a specific initiative or issue you have engaged with? How do social, political, and economic systems shape these interactions?
3. In the same article as in the previous question, Chan adds, “Reboots, remakes, reimaginings are important, but also looking at the larger ecosystem, we need to make space, especially for artists of color, to tell new stories.” What do you think are some opportunities and limitations of “reboots, remakes, and reimaginings” within an existing system? Reflecting on your positionality regarding a specific initiative or issue you delve into, how do you navigate these opportunities and limitations?
4. The introduction to the “What’s the Tea?” series that Chan co-created in conjunction with AAPI month in 2020 opens with the line, “As Asians in dance, our experiences with race can sometimes feel invisible. Perhaps this is because we are often already in the room (if not fully at the table), therefore our experiences can be discounted.” How does this understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusivity align with or challenge your view? What are some ways to engage meaningfully with the nuances of power relations to move towards a more just future? 
5. What did you learn about how Chan’s individual life experience contributed to his engagement in social change work, or vice versa?
6. What skills or capacities does Chan suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
7. What is the desired future that Chan envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

As those who made it to Convocation may already know, Andrew Morrison is a Carleton alum, class of ‘82, and “development economist passionately committed to social inclusion” with over twenty years of experience with the world’s leading development banks. Currently, he works and lives in Lima, Peru and is a visiting professor teaching Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Latin American Economic Development this term. Andy has generously given us some time this afternoon to have a more engaged conversation about his work. This event is a part of the SEXploration event series that the CCCE’s Health and Belonging cohort is putting on this month in collaboration with other campus offices. Although sexual health and wellbeing are the main themes of the event series and there is a raffle for prizes from Smitten Kitten (see the sign in sheet), Andy will be talking with us today about his expertise in gender equality policies from an economist’s perspective and how behavioral science works to end intimate partner violence.

Questions for Andrew Morrison ‘82

1. The report Applying Behavioral Insights to Intimate Partner Violence: Improving Services for Survivors in Latin America and the Caribbean “leverages insights from the behavioral sciences, including behavioral economics, social psychology and neuroscience, to provide recommendations to improve the design of survivor services in the LAC region and, ultimately, to lead to better life outcomes for women” (page 5) Carleton’s liberal arts encourages students to form multidisciplinary approaches: what impact(s) does drawing from such diverse fields have? In your opinion, does it provide a more comprehensive approach to violence prevention?
2. One of the objectives of the Applying Behavioral Insights report is to “encourage policymakers in LAC to test new approaches to improving IPV survivor services in a policy area where evidence of successful interventions is scarce (page 9).” How has the report been received since its publication? Why is this policy area scarce in evidence of successful interventions?
3. In a couple of pieces of your work you mention its parameters: the report does not “seek to identify and address all barriers that hamper effective access and use of services by IPV survivors” and recognizes “that there are challenges for which, given the nature of root causes, behavioral interventions do not provide an effective solution” (page 10) and in an IDAB blog post you mention that “development banks should work on gender equality in their areas of comparative advantage.” Why do you think it is important to recognize the boundaries of one’s work as an individual, member of a field, or part of an institution? Are there situations where such recognition could result in drawbacks? How do you navigate these different outcomes?
4. The Anti-Racist Teaching Collective defines positionality as: “‘the notion that personal values, views, and location in time and space influence how one understands the world. In this context, gender, race, class, and other aspects of identities are indicators of social and spatial positions and are not fixed, given qualities. Positions act on the knowledge a person has about things, both material and abstract. Consequently, knowledge is the product of a specific position that reflects particular places and spaces.’”  How do you see your positionality and identities as involved in your work? Have they provided you with any unique insights? Any barriers?
5. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your work? Has it opened any doors?
6.  Regarding your work with “new masculinities to engage men as allies,” is there a dimension of vision involved in this work? What tenets guide your thinking of the future?
7. You mentioned some of your work lies in “access to financial services and the provision of integrated services to empower women.” Do you consider these as two separate objectives (financial services and integrated services)? Why or why not?

1. Wheeler emphasizes “how important it is to have a strong community that takes care of one another and is able to be open and honest in order to create positive change.” In what ways do you feel that the communities you belong to are caring, open and honest? In what ways do/can you contribute to building such a community?
2. The mission of Ben’s Lighthouse, of which Wheeler is a board member, states that it strives to “empower children and teens to develop the self-awareness, empathy and social connections they need to find and share their own light.” Reflect on your upbringing. Do you feel that fostering these qualities in children are valued in your communities? What are some opportunities and barriers for young people in your communities to develop these qualities? 
3. In this speech, Wheeler calls gun violence “a problem so multifaceted, so enormous, and so pervasive that nothing less than change in our culture and our society can begin to address this.” Recall the ways in which Wheeler suggests we tackle gun violence and how he himself engages in the community to make change. Reflect on large-scale issues that you care deeply about. How do you ensure you do your part in enacting systemic change? How do you keep yourself motivated and committed in the face of problems that seem so vast and given that change can often be imperceptible in the short term?
4. How do your background and personal experiences impact the way you think about civic engagement and inform the way you engage in your communities?
5. What skills or capacities does Wheeler suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
6. What is the future that Wheeler envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Toni Carter ‘75 serves on the Board of Commissioners for Ramsey County and is scheduled to deliver a convocation address entitled, “Creating Healthy Communities” on Friday February 4, 2022.

1. In your opinion, what defines a healthy community? How does your civic engagement work fit into this vision?
2. Carter worked “as a teacher at Crosswinds Middle School, IBM systems engineer, marketing representative and systems support manager, and communications and arts consultant” as well as acted professionally before being elected to the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners. What professional roles and life experiences do you draw upon in your work in civic engagement? What transferable skills have you developed from these experiences?
3. Carter serves as co-chair of the Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative and Deep End Reform program. This program has a Stakeholders Committee, Steering Committee, Leadership Team and Alternatives Governance Committee. Have you encountered similar organizational structures in your civic engagement work? What might be some reasons for this type of structure, with multiple committees and subcommittees composed of members of different backgrounds, focusing on various topics? What are some effects of such a structure?
4. In her announcement to not seek reelection as County Commissioner, Carter cited dat on declining youth incarceration rates and unprecedented housing supports as “‘indicators of our countywide focus on equity and inclusion, and of our work to apply community-engaged, data-driven equity lens across all county systems.”’ What are some benefits and drawbacks of using a “data-driven” lens? What kind of lenses do you bring to your community engagement work? 
5. Carter initially ran for county office in 2005 after seeing “how Ramsey County’s services could complement the school system’s efforts.” How are your efforts in civic engagement complemented by those of others? How do they support other efforts?
6. Julie Ring, Executive Director of the Association of Minnesota Counties, describes Carter: “We have a limited number of county commissioners of color and so those folks get called on a lot to try to bring their perspective into our work [….] where we have pockets of refugees or immigrants and commissioners are still learning about those new communities. Toni has been so willing to be engaged with those folks as they’re working to understand the changing demographic […] She’s had to serve as a representative all by herself for a while.” How can we ensure this process of learning and representation is mutually beneficial? Have you ever felt that you were the single representative of a group?
7. In a Carleton Voice feature, Carter defines politics as “the process of gaining support for work that will achieve positive ends for people in my community.” Do you agree? If not, how would you define politics? What words would you use to describe this process?
8. What did you learn about how Carter’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
9. What skills or capacities does Carter suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
10. What is the desired future that Carter envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

1. Freedman’s convocation is titled “The Power of Facts in an Opinionated World.” How are “facts” defined in the context of shared knowledge and community engagement? Could what is considered a “fact” be dependent on cultural perspective? What strategies could help reconcile the differences between these perspectives, if any?
2. Freedman has “spent much of her decorated career as a reporter, with a keen focus on topics that require unusual reporting skill, courage, and dedication.” What practices or habits does engaging with the community require or encourage? How are they similar or different from those employed by journalism?
3. Freedman described her process in writing “Population Bomb”, published 1998: “‘Ýou don’t need to sacrifice ambiguity, contradictions and denials to get where you are going.”’ What could be some strategies for handling contradiction in a collective story and collective organization?  Is there a place for ambiguity in civic engagement?
4. In this interview, Freedman describes the role of a newspaper: “‘A newspaper has many missions […] We want to change the world sometimes, and sometimes we just want to tell a good story.” What are your “missions” in participating in civic engagement? Are they distinct from one another or overlapping? Do your missions ever create bias or create conflicts of interest in your work?
5. Freedman discusses the process of making and correcting mistakes in journalism in this 2017 podcast: saying “when we make mistakes, and we sometimes do, we are going to correct them fast and fully.” What are the roles of humility, open-mindedness, and taking responsibility in journalism? What about civic engagement? Do they share any similarities in the two contexts?
6. This Principal’s Guide post defines the relevance of scholastic journalism and community engagement: “relevance means students will create localized coverage that informs and empowers audiences to participate in their communities.” Do you agree with this definition? Could your work be described in this way?
7. Freedman, in this podcast, says that in journalism, “speed is a virtue, but haste is a vice.” Does this statement apply in civic engagement? How do we know when we have an adequate understanding of the community and its issues, how do we know when to act without being paralyzed by the desire to understand the situation better, and how do we know when to stop and revise our action? What happens if we act too quickly or too late?
8. What did you learn about how Freedman’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
9. What skills or capacities does Freedman suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
10. What is the desired future that Freedman envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Danielle Feinberg is a cinematographer and director of photography for lighting at Pixar Animation Studios. She delivered a convocation on February 11, 2022.

1. Feinberg has worked on a lot of notable Pixar projects, from A Bug’s Life to Coco. But she also helps out with groups that empower and uplift girls in STEM, such as Girls Who Code. Have you ever used your knowledge of another field to solve a problem? How can you relate your skills you use everyday to your community based work? 
2. Outside of her professional work, she acts as a mentor for girls to increase interest in STEM. What makes a good mentor? How can you apply your specialized knowledge to the community you serve? 
3. Fienberg agrees to go to every talk offered to her, to provide a platform to encourage girls to pursue their dreams in STEM. What is your platform? What are you encouraging in your community and why?  How can these goals and information be expressed in an accessible way to our community? 
4. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
5. What skills or capacities does the speaker suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
6. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Valerie Gonzalez, an investigative reporter based in Pharr, Texas, is scheduled to deliver a convocation address on Friday January 28, 2022.

1. The convocation introduction states that Gonzalez “works to bring perspectives from both sides of the international border as well as across languages.” Based on her presentation and reflecting on your own experiences, what are some benefits and challenges that may arise from navigating this kind of ‘translating’ work?
2. According to the convocation introduction, “the general distrust of the media and its portrayals” seems to be an important piece of the context to Gonzalez’s work. Reflecting on your own experiences with civic engagement, particularly as it pertains to receiving and conveying information, what are some of your identities that become more salient and in what ways? What are the effects of that? 
3. In a ‘2020 News Reel’, Gonzalez demonstrates how she uses “data and creative storytelling” in various mediums, including cable news and videos, as an investigative reporter. How does using various communication tools and mediums honor diverse forms of knowledge? What kind of communications tools or mediums could you use in your civic engagement work that would create more shared knowledge and shared power?
4. What did you learn about how the speaker’s individual life experience contributed to their academic learning experience, or vice versa?
5. What skills or capacities does the speaker suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
6. What is the desired future that the speaker envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Hmong-American writer, filmmaker, and teacher, Kao Kalia Yang delivered a convocation address on Friday January 14, 2022.

1. In Carleton’s Voice 2008, Yang credits Carleton with giving her “the confidence to pursue writing. My professors taught me that the things I didn’t know, I could learn, and that the things I thought I knew, I could relearn.” Have you experienced “relearning” at Carleton either in the classroom or through civic engagement work? How has it shaped your interests and passions?
2. Yang retells in an interview with Carleton’s Voice: “I read an excerpt from my book at a United Nations conference held at Columbia University and a woman from Eastern Europe stood up and said, ‘That’s my story,’ and another from Africa said the same thing. How can I not believe that I’m telling a fundamental human story?” Why is it important to find fundamental connections between your story and others? How might finding these connections strengthen relationships across difference?
3. In Yang’s work Somewhere in the Unknown World, she tells the stories of fourteen refugee’s journeys. Yang describes her motivations for telling these stories “not because her subjects can’t speak for themselves. Rather, she offered her artistry to  help them create a portrait they may not be able to see.” What is the importance of having your story be seen? What role does artistry play in honest storytelling?
4. In Yang’s Ted Talk  she mentions that her father’s hopes for his daughters in America were a “A future that I did not know how to envision, but words that I wanted to live in, and live in forever.” What kind of future do you desire but don’t know how to envision?  Are there things (like words, art, or music) that give you hope that this future is possible? 
5. In this Hyphen blog post, Yang describes her and her uncle’s negative interview experience with NPR’s RadioLab podcast in 2012. Her public response to the interview includes that “there is a great imbalance of power at play… Robert Krulwich has the gall to say that I ‘monopolize’ – he who gets to ask the questions, has control over editing, and in the end: the final word. Only an imperialist white man can say that to a woman of color and call it objectivity or science.” How can journalism– interviewers, editors, and consumers– avoid power imbalances and promote the just sharing of stories? 
6. What did you learn about how Yang’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Yang suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Yang envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

1. Miles’s convocation presentation is titled, “The Call of the Ancestors: Hope and the Historical Imagination.” What is historical imagination and how can it be used to create or sustain hope? How might you use historical imagination in your civic engagement work to create a more just future?
2. The convocation introduction states that Miles’s work “explores the meeting place of public memory, urban history, African American, and American Indian history”. Based on her presentation, where do these four histories meet? Where do they diverge? What’s  the  benefit  of  considering  different forms  of  knowledge  or  contradictory  ways  of thinking  alongside  each  other? 
3. In this interview, Miles describes her experience on Ghost Tours in the Southern United States and discusses how the history of slavery in the South is often retold in problematic ways. Miles states that “there is the possibility of more serious engagement of Black history at these ghost tours, and that possibility can be realized depending upon the motivation of the tour guides, the heart of the tour guides, and also (most importantly) the material that is being used as the basis of these tours”. In your experience how has the motivation or “heart” of the narrator shaped how history is told and perceived? How does the material used shape the narrative of a particular history?
4. In the same interview, Miles talks about a particular Ghost Tour centering the story of an enslaved woman named Molly. After deeper research she discovers that Molly’s story was entirely fabricated: “The story of Molly was created for commercial reasons, the story was attached to the development of the house as a tourist site”.  How might money or power shape or alter how history is told? What tools can you use to critically engage with history and understand the motivation of storytellers?
5. Miles’s work explores topics related to epistemic injustice, or “a wrong done to someone in their capacity as a knower.” Epistemic injustice can look like the “exclusion of marginalized and oppressed people from 1) being heard and understood by others in interpersonal communications, and 2) contributing to broader and deeper social understandings of the human experience.” What are some techniques you can use to repair the wrongs caused by epistemic injustice in the communities you are a part of? How might you equitably incorporate the knowledge and experiences of marginalized and oppressed people in your civic engagement work? 
6. What did you learn about how Miles’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Miles suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Miles envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Ojibwe language educator, academic, and writer Anton Treuer will be delivering the convocation address on Friday, October 9.

1. Treuer is a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, which is home to the first collegiate Ojibwe language program in the United States. What is the significance of teaching Ojibwe language in a college or university rather than in an informal community context or a k-12 setting? What are the limits and benefits of higher education as a site for language revitalization?
2. In the opening section of his book, The Language Warrior’s Manifesto, Treuer reflects on his education, “I was sent to school for thirteen years, ostensibly to learn everything I needed to know to be successful in the world and none of it had anything to do with me.” (p.5) How could a monocultural curriculum cause harm? How does a culturally relevant curriculum fit into our land acknowledgement’s commitment to acts of healing and honest storytelling? In what ways has your educational experience centered or ignored aspects of your identity? 
3. Throughout his work, Treuer discusses how language loss happens and how to fight it. What are some practices you can implement in your civic-engagement work that can help fight language loss? How might that strengthen your work?
4. In this interview, Treur refers to languages as, “unique bodies of knowledge that may contain some of the most critical solutions to the problems we face as humans.” And he likens the diversity of languages to a game of Jenga. “Every time we pull out a new language for extinction, we’ve destabilized the tower of human knowledge and problem-solving,” he said. What are some of the problems humans face that could be served by revitalizing marginalized languages? What solutions might exist in the expanse of languages spoken by humans?
5. In an interview on the podcast Native Lights: Where Indigenous Voices Shine, Treurer states that “language reflects the values of a people but it also shapes the values of a people.” From what you’ve learned through Treuer’s presentation, what ways has language shaped Ojibwe values? How has your own language reflected or shaped you or your culture’s values?
6. What did you learn about how Treuer’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Treuer suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Treuer envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

This fall, Carleton is hosting “Why Treaties Matter: Self-Government in the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations.” The exhibit, made in partnership between the Minnesota Humanities Center, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, explores relationships between Dakota and Ojibwe Indian Nations and the U.S. government in this place we now call Minnesota.

1. What’s Carleton’s role in honoring treaties?
2. How does the information displayed in this exhibit make you think differently about the place where you live and work?
3. How do the concepts and perspectives in this exhibit build on or differ from those you’ve encountered in your prior learning?

Climate policy expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson delivered a convocation address on Friday, May 21.

1. Johnson works for both racial justice and climate justice. In this op-ed, she quotes Toni Morrison as saying, “the very serious function of racism … is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.” In what ways could you consider racism a “distraction,” and what implications does this have for climate activism? 
2. Johnson’s convocation bio emphasizes aspects of her identity. The bio reads, “ Many of today’s most compelling climate leaders, across generations, are women—especially Black, Indigenous, and other women of color.” What significance does Johnson’s identity play in her role as an advocate and educator for climate work? How do aspects of  your identity play a role in the community or civic work you take part in?
3. In an interview with TIME, Johnson mentions that the issue with climate justice efforts is that the question isn’t “What we should do, ” but rather, “should we do anything?” What are some techniques we could use to move the conversation from “should” to “what” in the context of climate justice?
4. In this interview about the launch of her podcast, How to Save a Planet, Johnson explains: “I  really wish … people were thinking about, Okay, this is what I’m good at, and how does that match with the [climate justice] work that needs doing? It’s that sort of power mapping of your skills and network and resources that I wish people were thinking more about, instead of just, I guess I go to the next march.” Do you think that “power mapping” of one’s skills and resources is important to civic engagement and organizing? Have you ever purposefully employed this technique or a similar technique? 
5. Johnson responds in this interview that “those things [social justice and climate justice] are already intertwined, and when we try to deal with them separately, we set ourselves up for failure. If we try to just deal with climate or only deal with justice, then we’re dealing with a version of the problem that is so simplified as to be a problem that doesn’t actually exist.” What social justice issue(s) is your civic engagement work intertwined with? How does recognizing these connections change the work that you do? 
6. Johnson highlights an essay published in the anthology she co-edited, All We Can Save: “Leah Stokes’s essay … is about how to have ever broadening circles of influence as far as bringing about climate solutions. … She kind of leads people through how we get to the bigger and bigger changes that need to be made. And starting with yourself is certainly fine. But if it stops there, that will never be enough.” What circles of influence do you bring to your work in civic engagement? Does your work broaden your own circles or the circles of others?
7. What did you learn about how Johnson’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
8. What skills or capacities does Johnson suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
9. What is the desired future that Johnson envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Social entrepreneur and founder of Swipe Out Hunger Rachel Sumekh delivered a convocation address on Friday, May 14, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

1. In this discussion about Swipe Out Hunger with UCLA students, Sumekh mentions that the best advice she received was from President Barack Obama: “many people are idealistic in their youth, and they say if you remain idealistic as you grow old then you’re crazy. But the truth is to stay idealistic as you grow old, otherwise we are not going to go anywhere new.” Why do you think this advice resonated so much with Sumekh and her mission? What place does idealism have in your work with civic engagement and drive to engage in this work? 
2. Sumekh made the 30 under 30 Forbes list in 2017. What is the significance of  mainstream media recognition of a nonprofit entrepreneur? What does this say about the values praised by national media? What are the potential consequences of this type of attention and praise for activist movements?
3. Swipe Out Hunger started with distributing meals from the dining halls to people in Skid Row, an LA neighborhood where there are high rates of impoverishment, as explained by Sumekh in this interview. What role did location play in the inspiration for and evolution of Swipe Out Hunger? What role do the priorities of your community play in your community or civic engagement, and what role should they play?
4. On the Swipe out Hunger website the nonprofit asserts that their work strives to “advocate for legislation on a state and federal level to end student hunger” and that they “train students to become basic needs champions through their own advocacy efforts.” How do advocacy and volunteerism interact in community and civic engagement? What role do students play in developing what civic agency looks like? Why do you think this nonprofit emphasizes the role of students in civic engagement and advocacy? 
5. In this presentation Sumekh acknowledges, “there is no solution to hunger, it will always be a problem.” Instead, Swipe Out Hunger works toward creating attainable steps to reducing hunger in local communities. Do you agree that it is important to emphasize steps rather than a solution in addressing community needs? Why?
6. In this op-ed, Sumakh writes about how her identity as a Persian Jewish woman has impacted her work, and the ways she seeks to challenge norms about who becomes involved in community work. What are the ways in which your identity impacts the community and civic work you have been a part of? What would you define as the norm in civic and community engagement? Would you like to revise or redefine that norm? 
7. What did you learn about how Sumekh’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
8. What skills or capacities does Sumekh  suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
9. What is the desired future that Sumekh envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Hmong leader Sia Her delivered a convocation address on Friday, May 7, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

1. In her Minnesota Women’s Press featured profile, Her explains that there are “very few culturally and linguistically appropriate and responsive places for victims of abuse from the API [Asian and Pacific Islander] community to go to for the support they need.” Why is it important for places of support to be “culturally and linguistically appropriate and responsive?” What do you think would be required to make this change?
2. In this profile, Her describes a disconnect: “We know anecdotally that Asian American women are experiencing violence at a high rate [in Minnesota]. What we don’t have is actual data.” What advantages does “actual data” have compared to anecdotal evidence? What barriers are there to obtaining “actual data,” and how can they be overcome?
3. In response to the March 16 Atlanta shootings, Her asserts that “Acknowledging the context of this crime is crucial for processing it.” What types of contexts do you think Her is referring to? Why is it necessary to acknowledge these contexts to process events like the Atlanta shootings? How do you acknowledge context in your work with the community?
4. In a joint letter advocating for the 2021 Increase Teachers of Color Act, Her stated that “while we all eagerly anticipate the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the centuries-old pandemic of racial inequities will persist. This legislation takes meaningful action to resolve this legacy and offer opportunity to all students in Minnesota.” What does the use of the word “pandemic” contribute to Her and her co-author’s argument? What “pandemics” have you encountered in your work with the community, and what does this word choice suggest about how these issues should be addressed?
5. Her serves as Executive Director for the Minnesota State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. One of the goals of the Council, as per their website , is that “Minnesota’s API communities trust the Council. A key function of the Council is as a liaison between state government and Minnesota’s API communities, which requires mutual trust.” What is the significance of explicitly stating this as a goal for the Council? What role does mutual trust play in the relationships of your civic engagement?
6. What did you learn about how Her’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Her suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Her envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

The author and founder of the Prison-to-College-Pipeline program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice delivered a convocation address on Friday, April 30.

1. Dreisinger is the founder of a program that helps incarcerated people attend college called the “Prison-to-College Pipeline.” What is the impact of the word “pipeline” in the foundation’s name? Why is word choice important in naming organizations?
2. In this video, Dreisinger states that justice is a complex term but that she defines it as a “push for humanity.” How is this similar to or different from definitions of justice you’re familiar with? If the criminal justice system defined justice the same way as Dreisinger does, what would change? 
3. This New York Times review of Dreisinger’s book, Incarceration Nations, quotes Dreisinger as arguing that “the world needs a healthy dose of Norwegian janteloven, ‘a condescending attitude toward individuality and personal success.’” Dreisinger goes on to say that “Janteloven has no room for mass incarceration.” Why do you think this would be the case? Do you think janteloven currently has a place in American culture, and do you think it should?
4. Dreisinger explains that workers in the Norway prison system have “backgrounds in social work and law, while in the US it is run by people with military backgrounds.” How do you think this difference might play out in how the prison system functions in each country? What connections can you draw between this militaristic tendency in US prison operations and American culture more broadly?
5. This New York Times review of Dreisinger’s book, Incarceration Nations,  criticizes Dreisinger’s “insertion of herself into the narrative as a self-critical expert-naïf” as “distracting and occasionally overwrought.” What are some potential ethical risks Dreisinger’s book project runs? What is the role of narrative in social change, and what is the relationship between narrative and power?
6. What did you learn about how Dreisinger’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Dreisinger suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Dreisinger envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Environmental educator Scott Freeman ’78 delivered a convocation address on Friday, April 16.

1. In this op-ed, Freeman argues against the conventional college lecture format:  “Unfortunately, the data backing the use of lecture have almost always devolved to personal empiricism: ‘It worked for me.’ … faculty members aren’t representative of today’s learners, and data show that what worked for them does not work for the vast majority of their students.” In your own experience, have you ever noticed this type of “personal empiricism”? What are some ways to move the conversation in those contexts beyond “it worked for me”?
2. Freeman asserts in this op-ed that “However well intentioned, statements and committees won’t solve the racism, equity and inclusion issues in our classrooms.” In fact, he calls such statements “the academic equivalent of ‘extending our thoughts and prayers.’” Do you agree with his comparison? How can colleges and universities move beyond this current method to enact meaningful change?
3. In this study, Freeman and his fellow researchers found that after a single day of climate change education using local (rather than global) evidence, “students indicated (1) an increased awareness that global warming would affect their lives, (2) a greater willingness to change their personal behavior, and (3) a higher level of support for government action.” Does this finding surprise you? In your own education, which has been more emphasized, global or local contexts, and what do you think the effect has been?
4. Freeman is both an environmentalist and an advocate for dismantling racist traditions in STEM classrooms, which he says include the traditional lecture format. In this essay, he emphasizes the importance of living “a natural life,” which he says is “characterized by an ecological state of mind, and by a humble and interdependent point of view.” How do you think living a “natural life” translates to the classroom as you’ve experienced it? What parallels can you see between Freeman’s life philosophy and his classroom advocacy? 
5. What did you learn about how Freeman’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?
6. What skills or capacities does Freeman suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
7. What is the desired future that Freeman envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Disability studies scholar Ralph James Savarese will deliver a convocation address on Friday, April 2, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

These questions are based on Savarese’s essay “From Neurodiversity to Neurocosmopolitanism: Beyond Mere Acceptance and Inclusion” (Chapter 11 of Herrera and Perry (eds.), Ethics and Neurodiversity, available online here) and also refer to the work of disability justice activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha.

1. Throughout his essay, Savarese refers to individuals who are not on the autism spectrum or without any other forms of neurodiversity as “neurotypicals,” thereby specifically naming every group in the conversation about autism. Does this explicit naming  of neurotypical people change the tone of the conversation? In your experience engaging with identities different from your own, has every group in the conversation been acknowledged? If not, what would change if they were?
2. Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha comments that many abled people have been taught to think of the lived reality of many disabled people as “failure.” Where do you think the roots of this line of thinking lie? Is there a similar pattern of thinking regarding neurodiversity? How does this line of thinking intersect with how you personally think about failure?
3. Savarese hopes for a “neurocosmopolitan mixing” of autism and neurotypicality, and starts to imagine what it would require. He specifies: “Both autism and neurotypicality must cease to be strictly themselves in the participatory presence of the other; the anthropologist on Mars must become, at least in part, a Martian.” When interacting with people with different backgrounds or identities from your own, have you seen yourself or others change due to the “participatory presence of the other”? What do you think the potential benefits or drawbacks might be to this shift?
4.  Savarse cites Melissa Park’s work in his proposals for a neurocosmopolitan future: “If respect is to flourish, it simply has to find a foothold in medicine where, as Melissa Park … puts it, ‘institutionalized forms of misrecognition are as debilitating as disease processes or diagnostic categories.”’ Although this example pertains to the field of medicine, have you encountered any “institutionalized forms of misrecognition” in your own life? If so, what could some possible solutions be?
5. Piepzna-Samarasinha argues that “changing work to really embody disability justice means throwing out most ways people have learned how to organize.” Why do you think this might be the case, and by this reasoning, how does organizing need to change to embody disability justice? What needs to be thrown out? What needs to fill those empty spaces? 
6. What did you learn about how Savarese’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Savarse suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Savarese envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Minister and gun control activist Sharon Washington Risher delivered a convocation address on Friday, February 12, from 12:30 to 1: 30 p.m.

1. Gun violence and gun control reforms are topics that are often hard to discuss in the United States. What aspects of U.S. history do you think contribute to this, and where in U.S. history can you identify the prospect of change?
2. Risher is a reverend, and faith and forgiveness are central to her gun-control advocacy. How do you think these religious underpinnings affect the efficacy of her message, in either positive or negative ways? Generally speaking, does community organizing benefit from a shared identity? Why or why not?
3. During Attorney-General William Barr’s confirmation, Risher testified: “As a member of the Everytown Survivor Network, I share my story to put a human face on our nation’s gun violence crisis.” Risher’s emphasis on a “human face” points to the importance of engendering empathy in effecting change. What is the role of empathy in activism, and what should it be? Are there any dangers or limits to using empathy as a tool?
4. In her testimony at Attorney-General William Barr’s confirmation hearing, Risher named the nine individuals who were killed in the Charleston shooting so that her audience would “feel empowered to help bring about change.” How could you personally empower others to become involved in your community and bring about change, and what change would you seek to bring about?
5. Risher is involved with the organization Everytown for Gun Safety, which describes itself as “a movement of nearly 6 million mayors, teachers, survivors, gun owners, students, and everyday Americans.” What messages does the wording of this statement send to its audiences? What could be its potential benefits and drawbacks?
6. What did you learn about how Risher’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Risher suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Risher envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Artist and civil rights activist Bree Newsome delivered a convocation address on Friday, February 5, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

1. Newsome asserts that protesting and voting are “both part of being a full citizen and participating in the society.” Do you agree or disagree, and why? What kinds of barriers could prevent people from participating fully in society?
2. Newsome is known, among other things, for pulling down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina State House in 2015. She explains that she did so with “historical awareness,” which she describes as awareness of “the history of civil disobedience and the history of the civil rights movement in this country.” Is historical awareness necessary for activism? What kind of historical awareness do you have, and where does it come from—your background, your collegiate education, or another source? 
3. In this interview, Newsome reflects on her decision to remove the Confederate flag at the South Carolina State House, after which she was immediately arrested. Although she knew the act was dangerous, she says that “I knew that I would regret it more if I had an opportunity to do this—which I felt was very much the right thing to do—and we had not done it.” The flag in question has since been permanently removed, which she credits in part to her action. What is the relationship between civil disobedience and social change?  
4. Newsome explains the significance of her removal of a Confederate flag for herself personally: “I am a descendant of the people for whom this flag represented enslavement. … I just kind of remain humbled by it because it’s like, yes, it’s Bree Newsome scaling the flagpole but … it represents so much more than me.” In the same way that a Confederate flag is a symbol, Newsome recognizes that her act, as a Black woman, of removing the flag is also symbolic. What is the role of symbolism in cultural change, and how would you determine what constitutes a symbol?
5. Newsome comments that “The things that Black women say become the talking points for politicians, but we don’t really have much political leverage beyond people calling for a kind of token representation from us in certain places or playing the role of mascot.” What constitutes political leverage? How is it determined who has political leverage and who doesn’t?
6. What did you learn about how Newsome’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience, or vice versa?
7. What skills or capacities does Newsome suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Newsome envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Artist and art historian Dylan Miner delivered a convocation address on Friday, November 6.

1. Miner argues that “when we think about contemporary art, we need to think of it as not always reproducing the dominant way of being in the world.” Do you agree that art either reproduces or counters the dominant way of being in the world? If so, is all art political? Why or why not?
2. Activism has been extremely visible in the media and communities across the world throughout COVID-19. Existing movements against police brutality and structural racism have found new support and spaces, and new movements have also been created. Has art made similar strides during this time of pandemic, and how does this intersect with activism?
3. Miner is quoted as saying, “We have to reclaim those small spaces, our stories, and use them to create [a] better and more just world.” What does it mean to reclaim a story, and how could it be used to create a better and more just world? 
4. Miner is described as “finding a wider audience as he moves from street art and Indigenous cultural centers to art galleries,” and has spoken about wanting to “engage with radical politics … within the confines of the museum or the gallery.” How might working with a museum or gallery change how an artist engages with radical politics? How might viewing an artwork in a gallery as opposed to on the street change how it is perceived, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
5. Miner is quoted in this article as saying, “A lot of my work is about reclamation and understanding history. It’s not as something in the past … it’s understanding our own situatedness, our own being here in this time and space as integrally connected with history, but also understanding that history is not somehow removed from the future.” What do you think it means for an artist to understand their own situatedness? Do all artists understand this? How do you understand your own situatedness?
6. What did you learn about how Miner’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience?
7. What skills or capacities does Miner suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Miner envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Northfield activist and organizer Helen Forsythe delivered a convocation address on Friday, October 30.

1. Forsythe is one of the founding members of Northfield Curbside Composting, which describes itself as “a locally run collection service with an emphasis on employing young people at living wage standards and empowering them through team decision making and management.” By benefiting both the community and the collective’s employees, this is an example of reciprocal community engagement. What criteria can we use to ensure that our projects are advantageous for both the organizers and the community when it might not always be clear?
2. In what ways is youth activism unique? Consider what only youth can bring to the table, as well as any potential challenges of working with young people.
3. Considering the ways in which Forsythe organizes youth activism and community engagement and the ways in which Carleton and its students organize activism and civic engagement, do Carleton students engage with their communities and activism in different ways than non–college students of similar ages? 
4. Forsythe started this gofundme page with the call to action “Help Minneapolis high school students in Young People’s Action Coalition replace police in our schools with real community alternatives and transform the education system towards racial justice!” The page has raised over $35,000 as of October 1st, 2020 for this cause. What are the advantages and limitations of platforms like gofundme as they apply to community organizing? 
5. In the age of social media, platforms like this gofundme page Forsythe created have the ability to be shared and to go viral. Are they a supplement or a substitution to traditional fundraising methods for community engagement organizations (or neither)?
6.  Forsythe is also a member of the Young People’s Action Coalition, which describes itself here as “a democratically run youth organization founded by students in 2013 to build an intersectional (social and environmental justice) youth movement in MN.” What place does intersectionality have in community involvement? What are the pros and cons of simultaneous activism in multiple areas?
7. What did you learn about how Forsythe’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience?
8. What skills or capacities does Forsythe suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
9. What is the desired future that Forsythe envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Grassroots organizer and scholar Ruth Wilson Gilmore delivered a convocation address on Friday, October 23.

1. In this interview, Gilmore explains that “abolition seeks to undo the way of thinking and doing things that sees prison and punishment as solutions for all kinds of social, economic, political, behavioral, and interpersonal problems. Abolition, though, is not simply decarceration—put everybody out on the street—it is reorganizing how we live our lives together in the world.” What is your relationship to the idea that punishment is a solution to social problems? How would we need to reorganize the way we live together in the world to truly dismantle this way of thinking?
2. In the short documentary about Gilmore’s theories, Geographies of Racial Capitalism, Gilmore argues that “capitalism requires inequality and racism enshrines it.” How do you interpret the phrase “capitalism requires inequality”? Can it be applied to our current government, economy, and society in America? How does racism enshrine capitalism? 
3. COVID-19 is more prevalent in prison populations than in the general population. In this interview, Gilmore talks about the fact that “America has 1 in 4 prisoners in the world and 1 in 4 cases of COVID-19.” What are the potential implications of these two facts? What does this statistic suggest about the prison system or the systems that govern it?
4. Critics of Gilmore contend that getting rid of the incarceration system would lead to disorganization. In this video interview, Gilmore addresses this concern, explaining that abolition “requires persistent organizing for what we need, organizing that’s already present in the efforts people cobble together to achieve access to schools, health care and housing, art and meaningful work, and freedom from violence and want.” What is the relationship between organization and disorganization as it is presented here? How do you see it play out in our present and our potential futures?
5. Gilmore uses the term abolition interchangeably with ending the prison system. In the past, abolition has been used to refer to ending slavery in America. What do you think the significance of this terminology is? How does abolition extend to prisons? How would you define abolition based on Gilmore’s presentation?
6. What did you learn about how Gilmore’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience?
7. What skills or capacities does Gilmore suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Gilmore envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Additional reading: Gilmore recommends her recent works Abolition Geography and the Problem of Innocence and Beyond Bratton (p. 105, with Craig Gilmore).

The political sociologist Mindy Romero delivered a convocation address on Friday, October 16.

1. In this interview, Romero proposes a novel idea: integrating voting education into the American education system. What do you think Romero means by this, and what could be the impacts of such a program, on both voting and US politics in general? Do you think there would be political resistance to such a proposition, and why?
2. Romero argues that the American education system should play a role in aiding voter turnout. What are some ways you can think of integrating voting into the education system?
3. Romero is quoted in this article as predicting in 2020 “high turnout from young people in California and throughout the United States,” and saying that “because of the political context that we’re in … we’re seeing a lot of young people kind of galvanized, interested, following politics.” Do you agree with her prediction? What would you attribute this galvanization to?
4. In these working papers, Romero and her fellow researchers found that, in early April 2020, a significant portion of the American population wanted to move to mail-in-ballots given the COVID-19 crisis. How would this change affect populations that are underrepresented in in-person voting, or people who are unfamiliar with voting by mail? Do you think public opinion has moved on this question since April, and why?
5. In this interview with NBC, Romero discusses data that shows a dramatic increase in overall turnout in the 2018 midterm elections, as well as increases in the youth, Latinx, and Asian-American population turnouts. She asserts that this is partially or completely due to “homegrown mobilization efforts.” What do you think “homegrown mobilization efforts” look like, and how does this fit into the electoral process as you understand it? 
6. What did you learn about how Romero’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience?
7. What skills or capacities does Romero suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Romero envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Brown University Assistant Professor Kevin Escudero delivered a guest lecture on Tuesday, October 13 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The title of his presentation was “Organizing While Undocumented: Immigrant Youth’s Political Activism under the Law.”

1. In this interview, Escudero describes the “legal and political barriers to organizing, namely the threat of deportation” that undocumented immigrant activists overcome in their social movement activism. Do you think these barriers have become more or less surmountable in the time of COVID-19, and why?
2. In this Latinx Talk interview, Escudero conveys one of the main contexts in which his book functions: “given the fact that Latinx Studies and the broader fields of Ethnic Studies emerged from social movement struggle, this book underscores the continued importance of praxis, or connecting our scholarship to political action.” In your mind, how is scholarship connected to political action, and how should it be?
3. Escudero has led several workshops with his students at the Providence Community Library. One of these workshops was a screening and discussion of Precious Knowledge, a 2011 documentary that follows the debate of whether Ethnic Studies should be taught at Tucson High School. Do you agree with the film’s tagline that Ethnic Studies are a “revolutionary education”? Are any of your courses at Carleton a “revolutionary education;” why or why not?
4. What do you understand to be the challenges of organizing social movements among undocumented groups? Do Carleton social movements share any of these challenges?
5. What did you learn about how Escudero’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience?
6. What skills or capacities does Escudero suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
7. What is the desired future that Escudero envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

Botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer delivered the Frank G. and Jean M. Chesley Lecture in Environmental Studies on Friday, October 9. The title of her presentation was “The Honorable Harvest: Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainability.”

Where not marked otherwise, these questions refer to Kimmerer’s essay “Learning the Grammar of Animacy,” which is found in her book Braiding Sweetgrass and available online through the Gould Library.

1. In the essay “A Mother’s Work,” Kimmerer says, “The pond built my muscles, wove my baskets, mulched my garden, made my tea, and trellised my morning glories. Our lives became entwined in ways both material and spiritual. It’s been a balanced exchange: I worked on the pond and the pond worked on me, and together we made a good home.” How can we apply this account of reciprocity with nature to our relationships with community partners?
2. Kimmerer says that “to be native to a place we must learn to speak its language,” and calls the sounds of nature her first language, after her mother’s heartbeat. According to Kimmerer, what is the difference between hearing the sounds of “the shhh of wind in needles, water trickling over rock,” and speaking the language of that place?
3. Kimmerer talks about the need to “be bilingual between the lexicon of science and the grammar of animacy.” What assumptions do you think each of these languages might contain, and how might they be in conflict?
4. The English language, Kimmerer says, “doesn’t give us many tools for incorporating respect for animacy. In English, you are either a human or a thing.” Kimmerer makes this point in the context of describing plants and animals, but how do you think this feature of the English language might connect to England’s history of colonization? 
5. Kimmerer explains how using the pronoun “it” for animate beings like plants encourages us to see ourselves as separate and superior, and helps us justify our destruction of the natural world. In this article, she suggests we adopt the pronoun “ki” instead. How do you think our language conventions shape how we view and treat the world? What is our responsibility to the world in how we use language?
6. What did you learn about how Kimmerer’s individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience?
7. What skills or capacities does Kimmerer suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Kimmerer envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

The journalist Alexander Heffner delivered a convocation address on Friday, October 2. The title of his presentation was “Civil Discourse in an Uncivil Age: The Quest for a Post-Partisan Citizenship.”

1. Mr. Heffner’s work focuses substantially on the roles of social media and technology in civil discussion. How have these roles changed in recent years and in the time of COVID-19, and how has civil discussion changed as a result? 
2. Heffner has spoken at length about how the age of virality has altered how information is produced and consumed. In 2020, anyone can create content, but only a small portion of this content reaches the general population, often due to how many times it is shared and reposted. What responsibility do we as individuals and as a community have to make sure that we are engaging with and contributing to reputable content from a variety of viewpoints? How, practically, can we do so?
3. In this March 2016 interview, Heffner talks about how democracy has moved online and how the steps to involve young people in democracy have changed, such as the best ways to communicate with young people and the ideas young voters are passionate about. Are these issues still relevant today? Have they become more or less relevant in the past four years? 
4. Consider Heffner’s main platform, The Open Mind, which has been called [a] radical approach to TV talk because of its focus on low-key, in-depth conversations. Why would this be considered radical, and what are the pros and cons of this approach?
5. In this September 2020 interview, Heffner talks with University of Washington biologist Carl Bergstrom about how data has become politicized. How can data be politically convenient or inconvenient? How can scientists, politicians, and news consumers work together to maintain the integrity of data? 
6. In the globalization of the 20th and 21st centuries, and in the time of COVID, does any country’s civil discourse and political atmosphere stay contained within national  borders?
7. What did you learn about how Heffner’s individual life experience contributed to his academic learning experience?
8. What skills or capacities does Heffner suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
9. What is the desired future that Heffner envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?

The political leader, nonprofit CEO, and author Stacey Abrams delivered the opening convocation address on September 14.

1. Abrams is a very intentional communicator across lines of difference. What tactics does she use, and how effective are they?
2. How does Abrams respond to the polarization of political discourse in the United States? Does she seek to perpetuate or remedy it?
3. In this profile, Abrams suggests that the political polarization in the United States is an effect of media polarization. What lessons can be taken from her convocation address about how citizens should respond to each of these issues?
4. In this profile, published in May 2019, Abrams suggests reparations for African Americans and Native Americans is becoming a more credible possibility because people are now willing to have conversations about it. What does this suggest about the role community action plays in public discourse, and how do you think this discourse has changed in the past year?
5. In this interview, Abrams describes how, since 2013, when the Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, access to voting has been increasingly restricted, particularly among poor communities and communities of color, and that voter suppression works both by blocking access and by making people feel defeated. Abrams started Fair Fight to help combat this. What progress has Fair Fight made, and what are its limits?
6. What did you learn about how Abrams’ individual life experience contributed to her academic learning experience?
7. What skills or capacities does Abrams suggest are needed to create a more just society? Do you share any of those skills or capacities?
8. What is the desired future that Abrams envisions? In what ways is it similar or different to the future you envision?