Every time we met to brainstorm ideas for UA Idea Day, students mentioned a desire for civility. They wanted to see politicians from two different parties standing together voluntarily, discussing what they had in common.“We all know what they disagree on,” one of our students said, referencing the extreme partisanism they witnessed in the previous election, “but they have to agree on something.”
Initially, students wanted to get Senator Sherrod Brown and either Governor John Kasich or Representative Steve Stivers into our “Matter” ball pit, where they hoped the two might have a conversation, but we were unable to make that happen on Idea Day. Supportive of our mission, however, Stivers and Brown sent personalized videos that we played for the entire student body.
And then Stivers took it a step further.
When I shared what the students wanted with his District Director, Adam Rapien, Rapien explained the work Stivers (R) and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D) were in the process of bringing to life, and offered to arrange a visit later in the year.
That visit came this past Tuesday, and with it came the UA Idea Day student planners’ dream to see high level members of opposite parties taking the stage to discuss what they have in common.
Motivated to take action following the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Stivers and Beatty started a civility caucus, and they have worked to get other members of Congress to join.
They also wanted to bring their message to schools within their districts. Their first school visit was at Cristo Rey High School, a charter school in Beatty’s home district, and this visit to UAHS, a school in Stivers’s district, was their second stop.
The two began their presentation by letting students know they met during a disagreement over banking fees. In that initial meeting—despite coming from different perspectives—the two treated one another civilly and they worked to find a solution. The fact their interaction was so civil served them well, because their paths ended up crossing again and then again and then again, as the two pursued political careers in the State Legislature as well as in the United States Congress.
They gave numerous examples of how they have worked together and they explained the formula for making it happen. Focusing on the three C’s—Confidence, Courage and Collaboration—Beatty and Stivers make a case for how individuals can “disagree without being disagreeable.”
Once they made their case, they asked nearly 800 students to raise their hands and take a civility pledge:
I pledge my commitment to personal reflection and assessment of my conduct as I strive to do my part to build a more civil society—one in which each person is respected, and public and political discourse are aimed at the betterment of our communities, our state, and our nation. I will respect others’ rights to hold different opinions; strive to understand differing perspectives; avoid rhetoric that humiliates and belittles others; speak out against incivility and act to promote respect for all people.
Following the scripted part of their program, Stivers and Beatty took questions from the audience, and students lined both aisles from front to back. One by one they stepped forward, and their questions were smart, articulate and diverse: spanning the gamut from specific policy questions, to questions about what it is like to be a woman on Capital Hill. Government teachers spent the days leading up to the event examining legislation and positions so students would have the background knowledge to craft intelligent questions for their leaders.
It was a beautiful sight to see.
As I stood along the aisle watching, I couldn’t help but smile about the fact this experience, this access to leadership, this message, and this chance to recognize the power of our voices in democracy all came about because a few students started dreaming.
And I grew excited, wondering about all of the other experiences that will bloom out of dreams to come.