Students and teachers gathered at Diag to talk to passers-by about issues related to environmental policy on Tuesday as part of Political speech and the public square speaker series. The event is the first of four organized by Faculty Senate Office; The Year of Democracy; Civic Empowerment and Global Engagement; the Michigan in Washington Program; and that Ginsberg Center. Over the next three Tuesdays, similar events will be held at Diag, each focusing on different political topics.

Pauline Jones, event coordinator and director of the MIW program, said the event was organized to encourage members of the University of Michigan community to engage in constructive policy conversations, in an interview with The Michigan Daily.

“We wanted to show that political speech and activism at Diag is a normal, constructive, productive and positive way to communicate on campus,” Jones said. “We’re trying to get our community into conversation and give people a space where they can both hear opinions that they might not agree with and can make them uncomfortable but also express their own opinions.”

Jones said the event is being held in hopes of raising awareness of the upcoming election.

“This is also tied to the election and want students in particular, but also staff, to be aware that this is an election year,” Jones said. “We just hope it will stimulate students to think and ask and talk about the issues that are important to them when it comes to these elections.”

Speakers were given two minutes for their speech. Samuel Stolper, assistant professor at the School of Environment and Sustainability, gave a speech on President Joe Biden’s actions regarding climate change.

“The current administration has made great strides, unprecedented legislation that The Inflation Reduction Actthat set ambitious goals to direct the benefits of federal investments to disadvantaged communities and design policies aimed at improving access to clean energy and environments, Stolper said. “There is so much to do to further remove barriers to environmental quality, energy affordability and, perhaps most importantly, to have a say in the process of identifying and addressing the problems we have.”

Stopler described how this short format forced him to choose which topics he valued most in an interview with The Daily after his speech.

“I appreciate (the format) because it forces you to boil down your thoughts to fit that time,” Stopler said.

Business junior Ella Kaplan and LSA junior Leah Malech gave a speech together about environmental policy and business. Kaplan told The Daily that she wants to encourage her fellow students to educate themselves about how climate policy plays a role in the election.

“This (election) is really a chance for our generation and our campus to show up to the polls,” Kaplan said. “I think it’s important now more than ever to emphasize why you should go to the polls, why you should vote, and to really understand what politics is. There is a drastic difference in environmental and climate policy (between political candidates), and that is ultimately why we are here today.”

According to Jones, the theme of environmental policy was chosen to promote civil debate.

“There are different opinions and different perspectives, and that’s good,” Jones said. “We want them to be expressed in the public square, but it’s not as polarizing as some other issues that you can probably think of.”

LSA freshman Emily Turvey, who attended the event, told The Daily that listening to the speeches helped her better understand her own role in politics.

“It made me very keen to get registered and to vote in the upcoming election.” Turvey said. “(The event) made me realize how much power my voice has and my voice has.”

Daily Staff Reporter Evangeline Doolittle can be reached at [email protected].

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