It may seem like an exaggeration to call 2024 the largest election year in human history, but with more than 70 countries and half the global population partaking in an election this year, the moniker is well-earned. Amid global uncertainty and unrest, it’s perhaps little wonder why over 200 students, alumni, and community members—not to mention 1,000 online participants—flocked to Cox Auditorium this past October to discuss, reflect, and receive insight at the College’s annual Monitor Night Live event.
This year’s panel, aptly named “Year of the Elections: Themes and Threads Around the World,” took an uplifted and honest approach to an oftentimes contentious topic. Moderator and Editor of The Christian Science Monitor, Mark Sappenfield, opened the panelist discussion by addressing the unrest and dissatisfaction underlying today’s global political landscape. “What are elections really about?” he asked the audience.
Joining him on stage were several Monitor correspondents, each with their own political beat—whether at home or abroad. Conversation between panelists began on home soil, with a discussion about the United States presidential race and the candidates’ platforms. From there, panelists widened their scope to discuss the triumphs and trials of democracy in different corners of the world, including Taiwan, India, and South Africa. “You regain faith in democracy when you feel the people’s voices have been heard,” said Sappenfield.
As any political correspondent will tell you, honest discussion lies at the heart of democracy. The same could be said of this year’s Monitor Night Live event, which allotted over half its time to Q&A, allowing students and other audience members to deliberate and break down difficult topics. Audience members tackled the power of the youth vote, the rising trend of youth disillusionment in governments worldwide, and perhaps one of the timeliest issues, division among Americans due to their political beliefs.
“The answer to [political division in the country] is to make the choice to commit to [connecting with others] and to [create bonds] on a personal level. And that personal thing can grow into something bigger,” said Sappenfield.
Bridging the divide in our country can start with the smallest of acts, even a shared meal. “Susan Collins, the Republican Senator for Maine once said to me, ‘It’s hard to demonize someone once you’ve broken bread with them,’” shared West Coast Bureau Chief of the Monitor, Francine Kiefer. “When you peel back the politics, you find stories of humans helping each other despite their political differences. But you have to look for them. We have to make an effort at connection.”
True to the Monitor’s objective of looking for the light, the evening ended on a note of hope. The event’s deliberations were succinctly summarized by the youngest and newest Monitor correspondent and 2023 Budge Sperling Writing Fellow, Troy Sambajon. “People are so capable of change from one day to the next. It’s always a choice.”
In the end, Monitor Night Live showcased how choices can compound and create real change—including the choice to connect, to stand for peace, and, yes, to vote. And if the audience in Cox took anything away from Monitor Night Live, it is that change is possible and can begin with each of us, maybe even over a meal.