SCC’s Democracy Days will be held Sept. 17-20

Published: 09/14/2018

Democracy Days will be held at St. Charles Community College Monday-Thursday, Sept. 17-20. The mission of Democracy Days is “to examine the history, health and functioning of democracy in America and abroad.” The multi-day forum has been held annually at SCC since September 2001.

"This is another strong year for this educational forum," said Michael Kuelker, English professor. "Our topics are historical and also up-to-the minute, ranging from medical marijuana in Missouri to the Westlake Landfill, and our presenters include students, faculty, staff and guest speakers."

All events are free and open to the public.

Monday, Sept. 17

Drawing a Red Line Through the American Dream  | 10 a.m. | SSB auditorium
Homeownership is more than just establishing a permanent sense of place. It can represent agency and the creation of generational wealth. When entire neighborhoods are redlined by banks and the subject of poor regional policy, it communicates to those residents that they are less important to democracy. Travis and Gina Sheridan will share their story of fighting through redlining. More importantly, they will discuss the systemic issues that low-to-moderate neighborhoods face when attempting to rebound. 

Monstrous Freedom: What’s So Liberal about Liberal Democracy? | 11:30 a.m. | SSB auditorium
Why liberal democracy? In the wake of recent political developments at home and abroad, many analysts have begun questioning whether democracy is the best system of governance and whether liberalism ought to be its guiding ideology. Discover the history and philosophy of liberalism and explore its connection to democracy with Charles DeBord, SCC philosophy professor. Should these really be our guiding principles, or are they just relics of an outmoded past? What are the alternatives? What kind of political community is best for America in the 21st century?

The Importance of Arts and the Humanities in Education | 1 p.m. | SSB auditorium
With the increasing emphasis on STEM and technical degrees, humanities programs are often underfunded and overlooked in favor of educational pathways that many students and lawmakers perceive as more “career-oriented.” Please join colleagues from various disciplines including creative writing, philosophy, literature, music and history as we discuss the academic, personal and professional value of an education in the humanities. The panel, moderated by Bryonie Carter, SCC English professor, will include Charles DeBord, SCC philosophy professor, Becky Thorn; SCC music professor; Kate Weber, SCC history professor and Lindsay Brand, SCC English professor.

Tuesday, Sept. 18

The Prose of Protest | 10 a.m. | SSB auditorium
The current political climate of the United States has created an environment that is rife for protest in its many forms: marches, picket lines, vigils, speeches. This panel examines another form of popular protest with a rich history: the written words. Members of Joe Baumann’s Fiction Writing class of fall 2018 will present their protest writing and discuss their motivations and inspirations for writing, as well as what they hope the power of art and the written word can achieve in a time of turmoil and upheaval. Audience members will be invited to ask the writers questions at the end of the panel as well.

Identity, -Isms, issues and elections: What psychology has to say about campaigns and voting processes | 10 a.m. | SSB, Room 1102
Marvin Tobias, SCC psychology professor, focuses on how psychological theories can explain the use of identity (national, ethnic, racial, gender and other) in manipulating the voter and of course, win a campaign. We will explore the how "isms" impact the importance of issues and can lead to how we vote. Those isms include not just racism and sexism, but patriotism, exceptionalism, isolationism even "Americanism.”  

Media Representations of Poverty and the Implications for Democracy |

11:30 a.m. | SSB auditorium
What portrayals of poor people are we likely to see in American media? How are issues of poverty covered by journalists and in our popular culture? Michael Kuelker, SCC English professor, addresses these questions with reference to hard data and to the differences in how Big Media vs. independent media cover the people and the issues. 

Medical Marijuana in Misouri: A Panel Discussion | 1 p.m. | SSB auditorium
The Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) club at SCC promotes education about marijuana and has been part of the effort to get medical marijuana on the ballot in November 2018. The club is convening a panel of professors to explore marijuana from the perspectives of their academic disciplines. Panelists includes Tawni Miranda, SSDP president; Mitch Harden, SCC psychology professor; Gabe Harper, SCC political science professor; Christina Webster, SCC sociology professor; and Paul Roesler, SCC political science professor. 

Wednesday, Sept. 19

Westlake Landfill: A Panel Discussion | 10 a.m. | SSB auditorium
Representatives of the grassroots activist group Westlake Moms will join Paul Roesler, SCC political science professor, and Amanda Bequette, SCC psychology professor, for a discussion of the searing documentary Atomic Homefront, which is being shown at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, in the SSB auditorium.

Student Open-Mike Forum | 11:30 a.m. | SSB auditorium 
Lisa Randoll, SCC political science professor, holds an open forum for students’ views, questions and experiences regarding current events and political issues that are impacting their lives. Come join the conversation! See how real politics can be. The dialogue will be conducted in a way to allow people to speak their minds without fear of ridicule.  

ACA: Myths & Realities | 11:30 a.m. | Student Center, Room 205
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was signed into law in 2010 and has been interpreted and speculated upon in an incredibly diverse number of ways since. Anjana Renganathan, an ACA Navigator from Planned Parenthood of Southwest Missouri and the St. Louis Region, will bust popular myths and misconceptions of the ACA and explain what healthcare reform actually entails for our communities.

The Wisdom of Democracy: We are in Serious Trouble | 1 p.m. | SSB auditorium
This presentation draws upon the wisdom of ancient sages and contemporary visionaries to not only explore the compelling issues of the day, but to also look at what is possible and what is necessary to build a more positive, prosperous and compassionate world. Denise Halel, SCC communications professor, will explain and illustrate how optimism, empathy and vision are the weapons to be used for a sustainable future. "Let us put our minds together and see what kind of life we can make for our children" (Sitting Bull).

Atomic Homefront Film | 6:30 p.m. | SSB auditorium
Atomic Homefront is a documentary film that explores how the legacy of the nuclear arms race threatens the health of people in the St. Louis area. The film explores the consequences of residual radioactive waste near Coldwater creek in Hazelwood and the risks of the slow-burning underground fire at the Westlake Landfill in Bridgeton that is inching closer to a radioactive waste site.

Thursday, Sept. 20

A History of Impeachment and the American Presidency | 10 a.m. | SSB auditorium
Randy Beck, SCC history professor, examines the opinions of the Founding Fathers regarding impeachment and trace the impeachment process as described in the Constitution. Discover who in the Federal and State governments in the last 221 years has been impeached and why. Do not forget to bring your favorite copy of the United States Constitution!

Dred Scott and the Meaning of Citizenship in the United States | 10 a.m. | SSB, Room 1102
More than 170 years ago on the banks of the Mississippi River, an enslaved man named Dred Scott filed a petition in the St. Louis circuit court to gain his freedom. Over the next decade, the case would find its way to the United States Supreme Court, where a majority of the justices denied Scott’s case on the basis of his race. The ensuing Civil War and ratification of the 14^th amendment to the Constitution would redefine citizenship legally in the United States, yet anecdotally, the idea of American citizenship has been highly contested over the nearly two centuries following Scott’s initial suit. Ian Aebel, SCC history professor, will explore the evolving meaning and legacy of Dred Scott and his case and how it has impacted our notions of citizenship and democracy in the United States.

North Korea’s Nuclear Legacy | 11:30 a.m. | SSB auditorium
The historic Trump-Kim summit in Singapore ended with the promise of North Korean denuclearization and a hope for lasting peace in northeast Asia. Yet many remain deeply skeptical of Kim’s commitment to give up the costly weapons in which the Kim dynasty has invested for decades. Join Ian Williams from the Washington D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) for a deep dive into the history North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development and an assessment of the threat they pose to the United States and its allies.

Missile Defense and Nuclear Deterrence | 1 p.m. | SSB auditorium
Since President Ronald Reagan launched the Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983, the United States has continuously explored advanced technologies to defend itself against the threat of long-range ballistic missiles. Today, the United States deploys a limited ballistic missile defense (BMD) system that provides a thin shield against missile attacks from states like North Korea and Iran. As these countries improve their missile arsenals, however, many conclude that the existing U.S. BMD architecture is no longer adequate for the mission. Join Ian Williams from the Washington D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to learn more about the state of the U.S BMD system and its role in U.S. defense strategy. 

Who’s Who? Immigrants & the USA | 1 p.m. | SSB, Room 1102
Michelle Bailey, SCC Academic ESL instructor, leads an interactive multimedia presentation on immigrants who have helped shape America. Come learn how immigrants feature in every walk of life in the American experience. 

For more information on Democracy Days, visit stchas.edu/democracydays or email mkuelker@stchas.edu. 

St. Charles Community College strives to provide reasonable accommodations to all people at any SCC-sponsored event. Please contact Disability Support Services at dss@stchas.edu or 636-922-8581 as early as possible to discuss your needs.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit stchas.edu.