Happy Halloween! I look forward to welcoming students to Nutting House for our Halloween Open House this evening. This time of year, it is handy to live in a Victorian mansion that lends itself to gothic decor — the candelabras, cobwebs, and ghosts seem to fit right in!
As we enter November, I know that many of us are preoccupied with thoughts, hopes, and anxieties tied up in the election next week. It can seem difficult at times to focus on anything else. Many groups and offices on campus have done terrific work to help us prepare to play an active role, as individual citizens and as a community. The Center for Community and Civic Engagement has led this effort, and the CCCE voting website is a great resource for finding information about voting processes and programs. The CarlsVote working group has done a fantastic job generating student interest. Our first-ever early voting day on campus was a huge success, with 237 Carleton community members taking advantage of the opportunity to vote earlier this month.
As an academic institution, we have also sought to engage and inform the community through a variety of lectures and educational events, including our Opening Convo address by Representative Dean Phillips, appearances from local elected officials, Carleton professors talking about the intersections between their fields of study and the election, and the panel discussion offered by the Political Science Department yesterday afternoon that featured four faculty members sharing their insights about the election and a lively discussion.
On election day itself, CSA and the Dean of Students Office are sponsoring “Brewing for Ballots,” free coffee, tea, and other fun beverages at the Weitz Center, right across the street from the polling center for most students. Thanks to CCCE and the Chaplain’s Office, there will be a watch party that evening in Sayles. Recognizing that the presidential race is very close, and that finalizing results may take days or even weeks, we should be prepared for the likelihood that the outcome will not be clear that evening. It is still a riveting experience unlike any other to watch democracy unfold in real time as results come in from across the country.
Whatever the outcome, we know that in Northfield and across the nation, some people will be celebrating, while others will be deeply disappointed, or perhaps angry, or even fearful. We may find ourselves in an uncertain and anxious time. Here on campus, we will do our best to respond in whatever ways our community needs, including by offering a processing space in the chapel at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6.
I am proud of the role that so many on campus have played in this consequential election, by making your voice heard through voting, and encouraging others to do the same.
Featured in Carleton Today, October 31, 2024