To learn more: Visit www.thedaybefore.org or e-mail info@thedaybefore.org.
David Silver, an assistant professor of Communication, thinks something is badly missing on the 91探花campus in these days before the general election on Nov. 2.
鈥淚t鈥檚 possible to walk certain routes on this campus and not see that there is an election in 10 days,鈥� Silver said with feeling in his office last week. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unacceptable that the campus isn鈥檛 brimming with activity for the most important election of our time.鈥�
To do something about it, Silver has re-teamed with colleague Sarah Washburn, formerly with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation U.S. Library Program, to turn up the level of awareness and debate on campus before the votes get cast and counted. Earlier this fall, the two organized the nationally popular movement they called The September Project, sparking discussions and activities on the theme of democracy at libraries in all 50 states and eight countries on Sept. 11.
Now they have created The Day Before, which is a nonpartisan, campuswide day of political discussion and debate on Monday, Nov. 1, the eve of the election.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really an effort to energize and ignite the campus, to let people share what they鈥檙e interested in and link it to the election,鈥� Washburn said.
The Day Before is aimed largely at students, to remind them of the importance of the election to their lives and futures, no matter which side of the political fence they鈥檙e on. But in that effort, Silver and Washburn are reaching out to faculty and staff as well, to help make the event happen.
鈥淲e want to encourage all faculty and staff to participate by announcing this in their classes, giving talks, organizing talks and film screenings,鈥� Silver said. 鈥淥r simply by walking to Red Square and letting their voices be heard.鈥�
Washburn agreed, adding, 鈥淓veryone on this campus has a voice, and this is providing a forum to have those voices heard.鈥� Asked what she鈥檇 like to see result from The Day Before, she said, 鈥淚 want people on this campus to understand what is relevant to them in the political process. Students don鈥檛 feel politicians speak for them, and all sorts of issues affect them. And this gives them an opportunity to voice their concerns.鈥�
Silver and Washburn already have lined up an impressive number of campus and community groups to support The Day Before. Student groups include the the Asian Student Commission, the AS 91探花Black Student Commission; AS 91探花Board of Directors; AS 91探花Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian and Transgender Commission, AS 91探花Office of Government Relations, Graduate and Professional Student Senate, Muslim Student Association, Panhellenic Association, and many more.
91探花departments, units and and centers include the African Studies Program, Center for Woman & Democracy, Department of American Ethnic Studies, Department of Communication, Department of Geography, Division of French and Italian Studies, Division of Spanish and Portugese, Project for Critical Asian Studies, Dance Program, 91探花Libraries and the Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities.
Community groups supporting the event include the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and the Seattle League of Women Voters.
Silver said, 鈥淲e want to avoid the Orwellian situation where everyone is silent about the most important election of our time. And it affects no one more than college students.鈥�