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What to expect in CSU’s upcoming College of Liberal Arts Democracy Summit

Riley Paling, Staff Reporter

February 25, 2025

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie

Colorado State University President Amy Parsons introduces a new question for the panel at the Conversation on the First Amendment and Higher Education March 25. “How do the rights and responsibilities change in a residence hall and what residents might put on their doors or in their common spaces versus the workspaces you just spoke about?”

Colorado State University’s College of Liberal Arts is set to spark a vibrant dialogue on democracy with its upcoming Democracy Summit from March 5-7. This three-day event located in the Lory Student Center will invite CSU students and faculty and the Fort Collins community to explore the many facets of democracy under this year’s theme of democratic innovation.

The summit will open March 5 with an energizing keynote by renowned economist Darrick Hamilton. Titled, “Democracy, Race and Economic Inclusion: A Vision for a Human Rights Economy,” Hamilton’s address in Ballroom D will set the tone for a week of transformative ideas. With the reception at 4:30 p.m. and a follow-up talk at 5:20 p.m., the conversation will aim to welcome participants into the unfolding story of the democratic process.

On March 6, the dialogue will deepen through parallel sessions and interdisciplinary discussions. The morning begins with two thought-provoking tracks: in room 376, Professors Dan Beachy-Quick, Greg Dickinson, David McIvor, Johnny Plastini and Colin Rice will guide an exploration of, “Democracy, Ecology, Science and Myth: An Interdisiplinary Conversation,” from 9:30-10:45 a.m. Meanwhile in room 386, Professor Ann Little and graduate students Sean Nelson, Devon Rebelez, Melanie Grande and Evan Stackpole will tackle, “Brotherhood and Democracy in Colorado: Fraternal Organizations, Unions and Mob Violence.”

The dialogue continues past midmorning with back-to-back sessions. From 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Little and graduate students Samantha Hanek, George Moncaster and Logan French will present, “Wildfires, Grass Roots and Local Harvests: Democratic Civil Society in Northern Colorado” in room 376. Concurrently in room 386, Professor Elizabeth Sink and Instructor Leah Holz will introduce, “The Living Library Project,” a unique initiative that champions bridge building through innovative storytelling and radical listening.

The afternoon of March 6 is designed to widen the lens of democracy. From 2-3:15 p.m., Professors JB Bae, Gamze Çavdar and Ernesto Sagas will present, “Democracy under Stress: Global Perspectives,” in room 376, while a team comprising Patti Schmidt, Sabrina Slagowski-Tipton, Katie Knobloch, Jonathan Cable and Kinsey Zeigner will discuss, “Building Belonging through Community-Led Dialogue and Action: Key Findings from CSU’s Rural Action Project,” in room 386.

A standout keynote by Professor Lee Drutman, “Building Back a Better Democracy-Breaking the Two Party Doom Loop,” will run from 12:30-1:45 p.m. in the Never No Summer Ballroom. Later on, the Bernie Rollin Memorial Lecture, “Animal Dignity,” presented by Professor Lori Gruen at 4 p.m. in Longs Peak room 302 will further enrich the day. The evening will wrap up with a panel on local governance and innovation from 4-5 p.m. in the Never No Summer Ballroom, followed by a special screening of, “CSU: The Democracy Project,” at 6:30 p.m. in the LSC Theatre.

March 7 brings the summit to a dynamic close. The morning features research presentation sessions and creative engagements. In room 376, Professor Grace Gallagher and student collaborators will lead, “Dancing for Climate Action,” while in room 386, Louise Jennings, Knobloch, Tamanda Chabvuta and Silvia Terol will present, “Creating the Civics Classroom: How to Build a Pedagogy for Critical Youth Engagement.”

A session with NCAA President Charlie Baker, scheduled from 10-11:30 a.m. in Ballroom D, promises additional insights. Closing out the summit are three student-focused events: “Ramplify: Community Engagement in Action” in the Never No Summer Ballroom; “Code vs. Consequence: The Tech & Policy Debate on Misinformation and Social Media” in room 390 and “Student Impact and Local Action Simulation” in room 386.

All events are free, and anyone eager to participate in a rich exchange of ideas is welcome. With a lineup that blends academic inquiry, community engagement and innovative storytelling, the Democracy Summit promises to be a landmark event, charting a path toward a more inclusive and forward-thinking democratic future.

Reach Riley Paling at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @rileypaling.

About the Contributor

Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director

Cait Mckinzie is a second-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is one of two photo directors for the 2024-25 school year. Despite growing up in Renton, Washington, Mckinzie knew she wanted to go to Colorado State University since middle school. She had only ever been to Colorado twice, but she visited campus once, and that was all it took. At first, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins that Mckinzie was familiar with. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer to get back into a similar environment. Mckinzie was first introduced to photography by her grandfather, who has been a photographer most of his life. After he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school, she began to take any assignment she could for her high school paper to improve her skills. Of all the memories made in her first year at CSU, most of the interesting ones came from The Collegian. One Halloween drag show assignment, a lot of mentorship and a few months of practice later, Mckinzie found herself being offered the position of photo director for the next academic school year. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to continue learning and growing during her time as one of the photo directors.

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