Inside the Core

Inside the Core this week we are thrilled to be co-sponsoring, with the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, this Wednesday, January 29, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom, an interactive webinar across campuses (Seton Hall, Siena College, and La Grange College), entitled “A Conversation to Shore Up Civic Engagement.” Why is this needed? Why now? It is crucial for young people, college students, to engage in the public sphere, as their input is critical and something that cannot ever be taken for granted. Seton Hall is very grateful to Reggie Lewis, executive director of the Greenleaf Center and Core faculty member, for bringing this program to our campus for our students, faculty and administrators to participate in it.

After introductory remarks by Reggie Lewis, there will be welcome addresses by our own President Monsignor  Reilly, and the President of Siena College, Charles F. Seifert. Panelists will be Len M. Cutler, Ph.D., Political Science, Siena College; La'Tesha E. Sampson Ph.D., director, MPA Program, Seton Hall University; Jeff Lukken, assistant professor, director of Wilkinson Family Servant Scholars Program, LaGrange College. The discussion will be moderated by James Coltella, freelance columnist of the Chicago Tribune, and the respondent will be Eric S. Kipnis, manager, Constituent Relations, State of New Jersey Department of State. Program manager is Greenleaf’s own Gabrielle Kuper, who assists Reggie Lewis in the Center. After the presentations and discussion among the panelists and respondent, led by the moderator, there will be the opportunity for questions and answers from students from the colleges participating virtually. The event promises to be exciting and inspiring and very pertinent to the Core, where civic responsibility and engagement are crucial issues, as we read texts about how to live ethically and morally in community, for the common good. 

Why is this important? Why now? I asked Reggie Lewis for some comments regarding the significance and timing of this event. His response follows:

In the aftermath of the 2024 Presidential Election and inauguration, there is a critical opportunity to address the matter of inadequate civic engagement and the overall divisiveness within the public discourse. In a tailored conversation on January 29 at noon ET, participants will examine factors that influence the limited involvement in national, state and local elections and civic affairs, more broadly. This dialogue will also explore viable ways to foster deeper civic engagement within local communities, as well as across all levels of government.

According to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, voting patterns revealed a 7% increase in turnout between 2012 and 2020. However, preliminary data and analysis available on the 2024 election suggests that a significant portion of the eligible voting population did not cast a ballot this year. According to the University of Florida Election Lab, 90 million of the 245 million eligible voters did not participate in the election. Thus, there is a significant need to creatively engage citizens who find little to no value in choosing the nation’s leaders.

There is also a particular need to strengthen efforts to foster active participation in local government and civic life. For example, communities are struggling to fill essential roles on such local boards as education, zoning, planning and other essential governing bodies. According to AmeriCorps, in 2021, only 8% of Americans attended a public meeting, and only 56% of the US population voted in a local election. Moreover, the limited civic participation observed among Americans closely aligns with a waning trust in public institutions.

Join faculty, students and guests from Seton Hall’s University Core, Siena College and LaGrange College on Wednesday, January 29, at noon ET. 

Register here.

Categories: Faith and Service