Contentious topic sparks civil, open discussion

The annual Political and Civic Engagement Program Issues Forum Saturday encouraged students to practice democratic deliberation on immigration.

During the daylong forum, students heard from speakers and broke into small and large discussion groups to talk about immigration issues and suggest potential solutions.

Featured panel speakers included Maria Lillian Casillas of El Centro Comunal Latino, Robert Schrameyer, director of Goshen-based Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement and Lynn Duggan of IU’s Labor Studies program.

PACE student organizers chose the topic of immigration because of its contentious nature. 

“I think the tendency of our generation is to be a little less deliberative and little less involved,” student organizer and sophomore Liz James said.

James said the forum helps students focus on relevant issues and consider solutions.

Freshman Maqube Reese is pursuing a PACE certificate and said the day helped her think outside the box.

“It’s just helping me to get a broader perspective of things,” Reese said.

Reese said the student organizers, who also served as facilitators during the breakout sessions, helped keep participants focused on the topic. PACE Director Michael Grossberg said both the certificate program, and the forum, encourage students to become more involved.

“The goal of the program is to allow students to be democratic citizens,” Grossberg said.

The goal of PACE, Grossberg said, is that by focusing on a topic and deliberating democratically, students can step away from the usual pattern of argument and work toward constructive solutions.

The PACE program allows students to work toward a 25 credit-hour certificate through core courses, internships, capstones and more interactive requirements like a one-credit decision-making exercise. 

The Issues Forum counted as a one-credit course for many of about 60 students in attendance.

During a final meeting, participants listed “next steps” they had addressed in their small groups. Proposals included increasing community stewardship in areas where illegal immigration is a problem and highlighting companies who are using safe labor
practices.

At the end of the forum, students were given a resource sheet to help them move forward. Contact information for government leaders, local nonprofit organizations and student groups gave students the option to pursue other action after the forum.

James said the forum is designed to spark this type of engagement.

“It’s really productive because it gets students talking,” James said.