On Oct. 16, The Stampede and SGA (student government association) held a political panel event (under the “Deeper Connections” moniker) with the hopes of informing students about approaching the upcoming election from a Christian perspective. The event, held in Hyder Auditorium, drew in a nearly full crowd, with only a few scattered seats available and the front two rows open.
The panel was composed of economics professor Dr. David Campbell, communications and journalism professor Simon J. Dahlman, humanities and english professor Heather Hoover, and criminology and criminal justice professor Dr. Ken Lang. The event was moderated by political science professor Dr. Amy Edmonds.
Students were attentive while listening, and engaged with the panelists. The auditorium was calm as the panelists discussed the prepared topics, with attendees occasionally responding with laughter to jokes being made or hot takes on the topics.
“I was more captivated by what Professor Campbell had to say and his ‘hot takes,’” said junior Naetwe Sempsambo, a student from Woodbury, Minnesota.
A key topic of discussion was immigration, where Campbell shared his bold views on the legalization of immigrants.
“Hot takes are okay, right? I say bring them on and legalize it,” Campbell said. “Come in, let’s clock you into the system. You get a number like the rest of us, you get tracked, and you pay your taxes that entitle you to the benefits,” he added.
Lang contributed to the discussion as well, sharing the personal connection he has to immigration.
“Immigration is very near and dear because three-quarters of my ancestry immigrated to this country,” Lang said. “I think there needs to be a pathway in. I also think there needs to be a legal pathway to do it,”
A key takeaway that was stated by attendees was the emphasis on the importance of independent research regarding news websites. Panelists stressed the need for evaluation of multiple sources to check the facts.
“We need to be diligent about doing our research and seeing what both sides have to offer,” said freshman William Clark, a student from Phoenix, Arizona. “If you look at certain news sites that have a strong left or right bias, it’s easy to get caught up in that.”
Along with opinions on conducting personal research, panelists recommended news sources to help avoid bias like the Associated Press and Ground News.
“I think they are effective because they’re very central and not swayed by left or right bias,” Clark said. “They give a good idea of what is actually true,”
Clark wasn’t alone in emphasizing the importance of personal research to avoid bias from certain news sites.
“You need to do your own research thoroughly before you jump to conclusions,” said freshman Elise Halkos, a political science major from Atlanta, Georgia. “Make sure you get your information from reliable sources because it’s easy to be swayed when you’re not well-informed.”
As students prepare for the upcoming election, both the panelists and attendees stressed that being informed starts with in-depth research and a diverse array of news sources.