It's a good time to get started. So my name is Gerhard Blom. I work at a large educational institution
just a little bit north of Fatwater. None of the things said here tonight represent the use of that
institution. And I want to welcome you all. Thanks for coming. So I'm going to talk very long, but I
thought I'd say a few things.
So I think many of us are sad, angry, frustrated with things that are going on in the country. And not
too long ago, I actually watched a speech that Robert DeNiro gave, like a seven-minute clip. And he
basically asked questions like, can you love a country where mass agents spread fear across the population?
Can you love a country where 70% of the people that are detained by ICE have no criminal record? Can
you love a country where science and scholarship is undermined? Can you love a country where entire
civilizations are threatened with extinction? Can you love a country where law firms and universities
are extorted? And when you listen to that speech by Robert De Niro, everybody said, no, no, no, no,
no, we cannot love a country. My attitude is perhaps different.
And when I thought about it, this is like a child. If you're a parent, you have a child that
has a devastating medical diagnosis. It might be angry. It might be grief. There might be fear. There
might be pain. But in all of this pain and anger and bewilderment, I think all of us as parents would
choose to love our child, perhaps even with more intensity. So perhaps you could do the same thing with
our country when things go wrong. Love it with more intensity.
love it with more passion, love it with more resourcefulness, love it with more clarity of mind, and
perhaps with more hope and more cooperation. That's the spirit in which I would like to proceed, and
I'm very grateful. When I asked three fabulous folks to help us out tonight, they all said yes without
any hesitation. So we have Matt Pierce, who represents Bloomington, Albin Indy,
We have Sidney Suleik, who represents a bunch of people in Bloomington in the city council. And we have
a fabulous student, Brooklyn Lembright, whom I listened to at a speech that she gave last fall. And
all of those folks basically said, yes, I'll come. And I'm very, very grateful that you're here. So
each one of the speakers will have about eight or so minutes to give and take. And since we have such
a huge group, we have to be very, very formal about the conversation afterwards.
So afterwards, we have a conversation. And then we have a few people here from local community organizations.
They're going to say a few things about their organization and their sign-up sheets outside. So if you
want to get more information about those groups, if you want to help, you can sign up outside. And then
that would be the end of the day. So without further ado, why don't we welcome Matt Pierce to lead us
off with his thoughts
job is a senior lecturer in the media school so I have to prove I know how to handle a microphone. Okay
well when I was asked to speak tonight about kind of what we think of our country and how we proceed
from here and what's really important in this 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation, the first
thing that
immediately came to my mind was the very beginning of the preamble of the Constitution of the United
States, which says, we the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union. And they
didn't say to form a perfect union because they knew they couldn't reach perfection, but the Constitution
set out this aspiration that we would continue
it would become more perfect. But we know at the time that we had those words of aspiration that in
fact it was far from a perfect union and you might argue it's far from perfect today. But we had slavery,
obviously, which after the Civil War became a century of Jim Crow laws. We had women who had to fight
for their rights, right to suffrage, and other equal rights over time.
had a lot of situations where we had an opportunity to make our union more perfect and what I believe
makes our country so great is that although it often takes too long, although it's often too much of
a struggle, eventually we come to grips with some of the biggest problems confronting our nation and
we address them and we fix them. We basically strive to
make our country more perfect. And President Obama, back in 2008, you might remember his campaign for
president, and the issue of race came up in the campaign. And he felt the need to make a speech
in Philadelphia about race. And it became known as the More Perfect Union speech, which I think
is interesting. And in that speech, one of the things that
President Obama said, is what would be needed were Americans and successive generations who were willing
to do their part through protests and struggle on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war
and civil disobedience, and always at great risk to narrow the gap between the promise of our ideals
and the reality of their time.
And I think that is the key thing. Each generation, if our country is to continue to progress, is to
become more perfect, each generation has to recognize the imperfections of our country. And they must
work to fix them and to make progress. And once again, we probably won't ever get to the point of a
perfect nation. But we have made progress in a lot of ways that made our nation more perfect.
What is so disturbing about the time that we live in now is it seems like we're going backwards. And
it's scary to kind of see maybe how quickly things can devolve. We always had the sense that our institutions
were strong. And I don't think that we fully realized how much our democracy depends upon individual
office holders, people of power and authority, of respecting the traditions
and kind of the mores of our country. And what we've seen is you can have some things written on paper
about how it's supposed to work, but if you don't have people who respect that, your nation can be at
risk. And so our generation has to be willing to step forward because the key to our greatness as a
country is recognizing our imperfections and trying to fix them. And really, if we look back, most every
generation has had to face
imperfections and sacrifice a lot to keep our country progressing forward, whether it's what's referred
to as the greatest generation, fighting off fascism across the country and preserving our democracy
from external threats, whether it's the people we spoke of in civil rights movement, women's rights
movement, all those attempts out there. We each generation was willing to step up and do their part.
And so the question is,
you know, what shall we do in our generation? How will we try to make our country more perfect? And
what should we focus on? And this is something where it's easy to kind of be paralyzed because there's
so much going on. There's so many things that we need to correct as a country at this moment in time.
And it's easy to become kind of, you know, paralyzed. Just thinking about where do I even begin? What
do I confront?
What do I work on? And as I look at it, we definitely have these most immediate things where we ask
ourselves, you know, will our democracy continue to function? Will there be full voting rights? Will
it become so hard to vote that a lot of people just can't or won't kind of work through the hurdles?
I mean, there's a lot to think about just in the mechanics of our democracy. But I think that,
While we certainly have to pay attention to that, and maybe that's the ultimate battle to be fought,
I really think when I look at it as a state representative and from kind of talking to people and getting
feedback from people, to me, the biggest threat right now to our nation is having an economy that seems
to be leaving people behind. I think, to me, this is kind of the core problem that we face.
going to have a brighter future as a country, we have to have an economy where everyone can prosper.
And that means we have to do some hard work of fixing problems. And to me, the core problem that we
have as a nation is the government has evolved to a point where it seems reluctant to invest in its
own people.
So at the state level, it's interesting because we can come up with hundreds of millions of dollars
in short order to, in the name of economic development, support corporations and industries. And the
theory is that that will kind of trickle down and ultimately benefit the population as a whole. But
I think that after kind of seeing that for the last 40 years, you could ask yourself whether that's
really the case.
And so I think that what needs to happen, what I would see as the biggest imperfection to be corrected
at the moment is to create, get back to a government that's willing to invest in its people. And that
means not leaving people behind in our economy. And so I think these are fundamental areas that people
are telling us they need help in and things that I think are important for our future. And the number
one thing I think it starts with is education.
All right, so we have to have a well-funded K through 12 public school system. And I think beyond educating
our students, because the legislature is obsessed with workforce training and development. It's as if
all the education system is supposed to do is make sure we have someone who can make a widget when the
time comes.
But I think that overlooks the real value, and again, the genius of our nation, of having a system of
common schools, of putting in our very first state constitution in Indiana, there shall be a system
of common schools. It took a while to make that a reality. But I think we missed the fact that when
you have a diverse set of students coming from all different walks of life, different socioeconomic
levels, and you have them in a school together, learning together, learning about each other, that is
what melds your country together.
And so that alone is an important value when it comes to education, as well as what some people might
call book learning. And then when you get up to the college level, there's no reason we have to have
a country in which you have to go into tremendous debt to afford to get a higher education. There's
no reason why it has to be that way. The government could be funding our universities. We could create
a system in which college students don't have to have all this debt burden.
And I think that's another thing that would be very helpful, investing in our people. And I remember
very clearly when there was a shift in supporting students going to college. So I began school here
in 1980. And that was the very beginning of the Reagan administration. And up until that point,
student loans, telegrants, which before that telegrants were called National Defense Student Loans,
but the idea was that getting
your citizens through college, getting a higher education, not only benefited that individual, but it
benefited society as a whole. It would help us have a more educated, learned population, and this would
end up advancing America as a whole. And in those 1980s, it kind of switched to, well, you know what?
If you get a college degree, you'll probably earn more than those with only a high school degree, and
you are going to be the main beneficiary
of your education. Therefore, you should bear the burden of paying for your education because you are
the one who will benefit. And so they took what was kind of a public good and they just turned it into
a private benefit. And so we need to get away from that and actually invest in our students who want
to go to school. Child care is just another example. We have an opportunity to ensure, one,
that all children, no matter what their socioeconomic background,
have the kind of early childhood education that's necessary to be able to advance and keep up and do
well through K-12. All kinds of study and research about this and how good it is for that. And in the
process, it helps our economy in general because now both parents can be in the workplace if they choose
to do that. And so that's a greater benefit. And so that's an investment we can make. Health care, I
don't even know where to begin on that.
I personally think that we could do a lot better with a universal single payer system than kind of this
crazy insurance system we have now. But others would argue with me about that. But the point is, as
the United States of America, if we put our energy into solving this problem of how do we make sure
that everyone has affordable healthcare, we're America. We have the power to innovate. We can figure this out.
But we have to have the political will to do it. We have to be willing to invest in our people. And
that's another area where we fail to do it. Housing is another issue. We can be helping people try to
afford housing and make housing more affordable. So all of these things, I think, are examples of investments
we could be making in people today. History shows that when we invest in our people, it strengthens
our country. And so investment in individuals
is an investment in America. It's an investment in our future. And that's what we should do. And I think
if you look back, Franklin Roosevelt during the New Deal, during the Great Depression, really no social
safety net, nothing. And at that time, there was the political will to do something about that, to tackle
our problems. So they would look at these problems and say, we have senior citizens that are in poverty.
So let's have a social security system. Let's create a system that will work.
You know, all of the, I mean, kind of leveling the playing field for the average person, right? So the
wealthiest people were benefiting from the stock market, there were no rules and regulations, and they
figured out a way to, you know, have unemployment insurance, have workers' compensation, basically creating
a social safety net. And then Lyndon Johnson, in The Great Society, he continued advancing that. What
is our problem? We have a lot of seniors who don't have access to healthcare, so let's have a Medicare
program. Let's have a Medicaid program.
for those who are unable to get access to health insurance. And so essentially creating a more robust
social safety net. And so certainly you can argue that all these programs are not perfect, that maybe
there's a better, more innovative way to do it. But the point is, at times in our past, the government
and the people demanding things from their government movements, social movements, got our problems
addressed.
in one fashion or another. And that's what we really need today. We need to have the generations that
are on the planet at the moment working together to make our union more perfect. We need to create a
movement that demands our governments at both the federal, state, and local level invest in our people.
And I think that together, if we were to kind of build this movement, this political movement, we could
generate the political will among our elected officials to
actually focus on the problems that the public needs to have solved. And we owe it to the previous
generations who did the hard work of getting us to this point, of making our nation more perfect, of
doing the really hard things and trying to advance equality and the economic social safety net. All
of that was done in the past and we ought to be able as the current generations be able to do this as
well. We owe it to them that much.
You know, the good news is, I hope, I don't think we have to fight a civil war to do it or maybe even
spend a lot of time in jail. But we do need to speak up and we need to essentially seize political power
through the constitutional systems we have in place so that we can redirect our government to do the
things that need to be done to help our people. And I think that we can do that and not have to make
the tremendous sacrifices that previous generations had
maybe four. And so I think that in the process of doing that, we can also reinvigorate our democracy.
Because so many people have checked out of the system, because they just feel it doesn't really matter
who I elect, or this government is so far away and detached from me, there's no way that I can really
impact it. Because I complain, I may even vote, but I don't seem to get my problems solved. And because
of that, a lot of people are checking out.
And so I think if we had a broad social movement seeking to solve these very basic problems of our citizens,
I think not only would that give people a purpose and strive for, but I think it would build hope. And
I think it would restore people's faith in our democratic system. And I think that is maybe the greatest
benefit of all. Even if you fall a little short of solving the very real everyday problems of people,
I think you can show them that there's a way forward. And it makes sense to participate in your government
and have faith in your democratic system. So I would say now is the time for us to get started in building
this new America, a more perfect union. And the important thing is, let's be able to say that we did
our part to make America as perfect as possible. Thank you.
Brooklyn, I would imagine after all the things that Matt said about education, you're not going to disagree
too much. But Brooklyn's a student here at IU, and I heard her talk about her experiences, what she
was told before she came to IU, her experiences at IU. And I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts
on those questions again.
that I'm a senior here at IU. I'm studying journalism and American studies. I grew up in Indiana. I
got my education in Indiana, so I'm very aware of what the educational climate is here in the state.
I first gave this speech at the AAUP meeting. It was to faculty and students. And so the goal of that
speech, as well as my remarks today, is to sort of complicate what we've been taught about how education
should function
and to imagine the ways that education can and should be serving us. So I want to start today by asking
what may seem like sort of a simple question, and that is, what does it mean to be a student? So almost
all my life, that question has been answered by everyone except me. Growing up in a rural, conservative
Indiana town of about 900 people, the top priority was not education, but rather acquiring skills
that directly translated into a high paying career. This is what employers want to see, has been one
of the most frequently repeated phrases throughout my education. Making myself profitable to an employer
was always at the forefront of my mind during high school and college. Many people in my community didn't
go to college or even graduate from high school. Instead, they worked at local RV factories that offered
to pay them nearly $50 an hour right out of high school.
And if my peers did choose to pursue higher education, they were encouraged by high school administrators
to pick a degree program where a direct path to employment was emphasized. And I wanted all of this,
too. I'm not going to stand up here and say that I was any different. I wanted a typical 9 to 5 job
after I graduated from college. I didn't want to worry about my finances or work a laborious, physically
demanding job like I saw both my parents do. Education, as it had been defined to me thus far,
was about securing a job once the learning was over. And that's just it. At some point, I had to get
serious and stop learning so I could enter the real world. Education was merely a stepping stone to
that real world. Education itself had no value otherwise. But the secret that I held deep down was that
I really loved learning. I used to tell my friends and my family and my teachers that I'd be content
if I could just spend my entire life learning.
So as I began college and worked toward my journalism degree, the secret sort of gnawed at me. It kept
me up at night. I felt like I had to live a double life, fighting the one part of me that was being
told to earn a degree in something practical, and the other part of me that really wanted to continue
asking questions and building knowledge. Then I took a class in the Department of American Studies called
What is America? And this class had nothing to do with my major in media studies. All it offered was
a chance to do critical thinking about the United States.
and to question the dominant narratives of American history. This class opened up an entirely new world
to me. And for the first time, I got to define my education by asking questions and engaging in discussions
that influenced my own personhood. For the first time, it offered a chance to see education as a tool
for personal growth and a new way to relate to the world around me. I got to engage in the shaping of
my own mind. So I took more classes like this,
I read more books and I wrote more essays than I had ever done before. I expanded my mind by thinking
critically of the world that surrounded me. And eventually these classes and the American Studies Department
became my second major. They led to research opportunities that took me to the archives at the Sophia
Smith Collection of Women's History in Northampton, Massachusetts, as well as an independent research
project through the Center for Research on Race and Ethnicity in Society.
I wrote a paper on incarcerated black women's personal narratives, such as poetry, personal essays,
and music, and their significance in black feminist studies. I ended up combining my interests in media
and American studies to create and produce a show with the local community radio station WFHB. I created
episodes about the student-led protests at Dun Meadow and the subsequent silencing of those students'
concerns by campus administrators.
And I also created more historical episodes, including one about the origins and development of whiteness
in America. For the first time, I felt like the shaper of my own mind, of my education. In developing
my own consciousness, I worked to create more equitable spaces in my local community. And then the Indiana
legislature passed HB
know HB 1001 is the bill that forced university departments across the state of Indiana to consolidate
and eliminate programs that did not meet a certain number of enrollment. So once again my education
was in the hands of people who thought they knew what was best for me. Governor Braun through his act
emphasized programs and departments that offered a direct ticket to employability
Governor Ron said, quote, line up where the good jobs are that have the highest wages. Those are the
degrees that are going to be the most important, end quote. My own American studies department has been
deemed impractical by the state of Indiana. The degree which has offered me so many pathways to exciting
and innovative research, to expanding my critical thinking skills, and to contributing knowledge to
my local community. That is now considered disposable to state legislators because the value of education
is only measured by its profitability. But if we judge education solely by its economic return, we may
miss the importance of education as a tool to understand ourselves as Americans. Shouldn't I, as a human
being, have the opportunity to understand who I am in relationship to my community, my country, and
the rest of the world? Without the pursuit of a broad liberal arts education, my understanding of American
history and culture would remain one-sided.
I wouldn't know about the lives and ideas of so many important and formative Americans. Rather, my ignorance
would remain an integral part to my formation as the perfect worker. Young people like me deserve the
authority to shape our own minds, whether this leads to a nine to five career, the pursuit of knowledge,
or something else entirely. But our state legislators are no longer allowing us the autonomy to make
these decisions for ourselves. Their trust lies in profits and capital,
than the young guys that would shape our very state, nation, and eventually the world. In total, 584
degree programs like mine were merged, consolidated, suspended, or eliminated across Indiana's public
colleges and universities. 584. And I understand that some of you may see this as an act of efficiency
to streamline taxpayer dollars toward programs with higher enrollment numbers. You may even see low
enrollment as evidence that something within the program or department
isn't working. Purdue University's Provost Patrick Wolf described consolidation and elimination efforts
as a type of accountability in which they strive to support taxpayers, employers, educators, and citizens
in the best way possible. As a student who has lived in Indiana all her life, I've heard these arguments
repeatedly. I understand that many across the state see efficiency and profitability as the top priorities
for higher education. I, in fact, for the majority of my life, also saw higher education this way.
But you're conditioned to believe that the primary goal of education is to obtain a high paying job.
But I'm asking you today to imagine a different world with me. And I'm asking us to strive for a university
that sees the development of young minds and the cultivation of critical thinking as its highest priority.
While I'm not admonishing the importance of income and the means through which we all earn a living,
I am instead suggesting that the state and universities recognize the importance of developing individuals
with critical minds and well-rounded perspectives. I am advocating for a world in which the arts, humanities,
and languages are not seen as secondary pathways or unnecessary degrees. We must remember that arts,
humanities, and language programs offer skills beyond what can be simply measured. The soft skills offered
by these degrees include communication, problem solving,
empathy, ethical decision making, research analysis, creativity, and teamwork, all of which are also
vital to the high wage jobs emphasized by the state. So let us question the state's push to employ numbers
to distinguish the worthiness of a degree. While the state says this consolidation and elimination effort
is to preserve taxpayer dollars, it's still unclear how much the state is saving in funding or whether
any of these savings will even
Once again, profits are used to justify the dismantling of vital liberal arts programs that provide
students with the necessary skills for their own development and therefore their community's development.
We must stop them from dismantling higher education in Indiana. Our future depends on young people like
myself having access to a quality liberal arts education, one that helps us make sense of the world
and our place in it. Caring about the preservation of our ability to guide our own education starts
with standing alongside
alongside those working to protect higher education in the state. I am asking all of us to make our
voices heard. Education and equal access to it is essential for each and every one of us. Thank you
so much. I'm going to say something that might
brand my ideas as being heretical among my econ faculty colleagues. I'm actually convinced that if we
offer education to young people and let them figure out what is in their own interest and let them ask
their own questions and let them find their own answers, perhaps with the help of some old people with
gray hair, that is actually good for the country.
Because I'm convinced that if you let young people do that, they will find themselves in that is what
makes America great. So thanks, Brooklyn. Sydney, you're up next.
Thank you so much for being here. I hope you've enjoyed yourself thus far. My name is Sydney Zulek.
I'm 23 years old and in 2023, I made Bloomington history by being the youngest person to ever be elected
to the Bloomington City Council. It's always an honor for me to speak at events like this because I
know how inspired I feel after leaving one. I love Bloomington and I am so grateful to have been given
the chance to succeed here. But I am very, very aware that the same luxury is not afforded to most
of the other post-graduates that we have in our community. My perfect Bloomington is one that every
young person is given the same opportunities to succeed that I was given. The chance that I was given
was truly once in a lifetime, but in a thriving community, opportunities are not rare, they are plentiful.
We're not there yet, and that's okay, but let this be the moment that you feel called to action. When
the world feels like a dark place,
and our country's problems feel insurmountable, it is our local community that reminds us why life is
worth living. The antidote to hate is very rarely more hate. We must instead fight back with joy. Sometimes
that joy looks like marching and protesting. But most of that time, our joy is more subtle. It looks
like volunteering for the breakfast shift at your local homeless shelter, hoping to ensure that the
Our most vulnerable populations have food in their bellies. It looks like joining a city or county commission
and advocating for the issues that you care about. And it looks like running for office, taking up space
in rooms where many of our perspectives are often discarded. There are over 60 elected officials in
this town. Some positions are flashy, some are less so, but they're still critical to our infrastructure.
Not every elected official is dynamic.
Some are soft-spoken. Some are abrasive. Very few are a happy medium. But there's no specific sound
or style that comes with running for or holding office. And most of us didn't study political science,
myself included. Instead, we're educators. We're doctors. We're lawyers, tradesmen, farmers, stay-at-home
parents. The only thing that we all have in common is that we are brave enough to try. Brave enough to fight.
in some cases. So once upon a time, I was approached about running like many of my colleagues have been.
It wasn't something I ever expected for myself until someone else believed in me. The people in my life
knew that I was capable of becoming something more. And so they pushed me to do it. So just in case
someone or a few someones in this room hasn't heard it yet or needs to hear it, I am going to take this
opportunity to say to all of you, run for
You don't need to be fearless. You don't need to have all of the answers. But I believe that you're
here today because you know that the United States of America has a better future in store. And we need
more leadership to get there. So run, fight, win, and serve your communities. So for those
who are apprehensive or feel like they're not ready, I get it. I've been there. But we must look no
further than former President Harry Truman, who shared his experience as a new politician.
In his own words, he says, I remember when I first came to Washington. For the first six months, you
wonder how the hell you ever got here. For the next six months, you wonder how the hell the rest of
them ever got here. Now, I can't speak for others, but I have had a very similar experience to former
President Truman in that regard. And so we all have our doubts. But I have to encourage each of you
to take a chance on yourself.
you will never know your full potential until it is realized. And I promise that you are much more powerful
than our education system has led you to believe you are. It would be my honor to help you step into
your power. So for anyone who would like to contact me, my cell phone number is 614-448-8154. That is
614-448-8154. No one got it the first time. I'm more than happy to sit down and discuss
with anybody what our community offers and where someone might best step into their power here. So I'll
leave you with this. Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to ever be elected to the United States
Congress, put it best, service is the rent that we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. Well,
y'all, rent is due. So whatever that service looks like to you,
encourage you to be brave in your pursuit raise your expectations for yourself get involved make a difference
and above all else raise your voice because I would really like to hear what you have to say and I imagine
a lot of other folks would too so thank you very much for your time thanks for being here and I hope
you have a
I think it's really hard to end in a more positive and joyful and cheerful attitude. Thank you so much.
And I guess the rent is due. There's an old wisdom that goes back thousands of years, which goes something
like this. It is upon us to start the work, and there are plenty of opportunities to start the work.
And it also says it's not upon us to complete the work. So Matt, you said it's going to take some time.
They're not going to be perfect. They're not going to complete it. It is not our duty to finish the
work, but then neither are we free to neglect it. I think that sums up what all of our fabulous speakers
told us tonight. So you have a chance to have a conversation. I have a microphone. I imagine some of
you will have questions. I will imagine some of you have comments. Feel free to speak your mind.
When I thought about this, in my mind, there's too much divisiveness in this country, too much name
calling. This is supposed to be a completely positive, hopeful, non-divisive event. I think it has been
so far. So each one of us should be free to speak up. And if you want to have a comment or a question,
I'll hand you the microphone. Perhaps you want to tell us your name. And go at it.
My name's Angela Blum, and I guess priorities, and I guess it goes to you, Matt. I'm wondering, you
started with education, so is that the number one, I mean, healthcare, childcare, all those things,
and it's hard to pick right now where we need to get going, but I'm just wondering if you think it's,
education, or who you feel first? Yeah, I think that, I think to me education is the key because you
can talk about education as a more formal, like earning degrees, advancing through the process, but
I think education also includes informing people.
about what their government is doing and what is impacting their lives, and then also providing them
with the information they need to figure out how do I get involved or how do I change it. So education
on both those levels is really important. But I think to get people engaged, because I know right now
people are like, will our democracy survive? What will be happening in the next two election cycles?
Will someone manage to subvert the system to the point where it doesn't function anymore?
And so you might say, well, why are you worrying about education, housing, and all that stuff? Because
our very democracy is at stake. But I think the reason why our democracy is fragile is because so many
people have checked out. And so I think you have to give people a reason to want to get involved and
to want to make our system really work and to fight through
the barriers that are being raised at being able to vote, whether it's getting the right ID, getting
registered, showing up to vote in the right place. I mean, there are all these twists and turns just
to show up and cast your vote. And so to get people to be willing to learn how to fight through that
and make sure their vote counts, you have to give them a good reason to vote. And so I think this idea
of let's have an America, let's have an Indiana where we invest in our people and we address these real
direct problems
face, I think that might engage them to get involved in democracy. And then you have the power of numbers.
And you have people involved. And so I think that's how you end up turning things around. I have a question.
This is a question for Brooklyn. I wanted to ask about, my name is Kate Steger.
And I wanted to ask you, as a future journalist, I talked about having the power to develop your own
critical thinking. And as this future journalist, I wanted to ask you about social media. And I want
to know what your thoughts are on how the algorithms are shaping our ability to think and what you think
you can do about it as a journalist.
how you will handle that as journalists. And that's the question on every journalist's mind right now.
Algorithms are really reshaping how young people are getting their news. And I think part of what Matt
was talking about was needing to increase our education is also to increase our media literacy. Media
literacy is vital for everyone, not just young people, but especially in the wake of algorithms. It's
really important that we understand how to fact check
how to check multiple sources, how to verify the information we're getting. Where do journalists even
get their information? Obviously, those are things that were taught in the media school, but those are
vital things that every American should have access to. And so I guess as a journalist, people want
to be stuck in their algorithms. There's not a whole lot we can do about that. But I guess my priority
as a journalist is always
just putting out stories that I think are vital to local communities. Covering local communities is
super important. There's a lot of news deserts that are happening across the state and across the country.
And so trying to fill those news deserts with things that are impacting local people is really, really
important in the age of social media. That kind of goes with what
City was saying, too, about the importance of the local community. So I really appreciate that focus.
I feel a little bit, I'm going into conversation mode here, but I feel like that's where we have the
only power. Outside of our road, we live in this local community, and we have to use our power in the
local community. So I appreciate that.
like this has been mentioned. But something I've been awakened to is this AIPAC, this Israel money.
That has to stop. I am just, the more I learn about it, we give all our money to this rogue state, and
the state is taking us down into the gutter. I mean, we're at war now because of that state. How does
that money
How do we stop that? Because it's infected everything in our country. There's not probably a politician
that doesn't take TAPAC or some form of money. I thought they were going to try to curb how many of
these groups can come into the White House and these lobbying groups. Stop that crap.
I don't know how to get the government to wake up because it's sick. We have a very infected, sick government
right now. And it's painful for me to see because it's hurting these young people. These young people
don't have the opportunity that we had. And it's sad because we can do so much better
But if we're going to put politicians in there, one thing that I demand now is no corporate money. That
has to stop. Because if you take corporate money, then you have to bow down to these people. If I was
to take money from you and you said, oh, by the way, I'm going to help you with this. And then after
a while, you said, but by the way,
I need you to help me now. It's sick. So how do we stop that? Education is wonderful, but these poor
students are in debt up through their eyeballs. Why can't we have free education in this country? Israel
has free education. Why can't we? So anyway, I've got burrs up my butt. I'm sorry.
I'm Jenny Bass, and I'm actually, Gerhard invited me to come on behalf of, who's your action?
And let me just, some of us here are members, and glad to see you, and I know that Matt has seen us
at the State House, and I'm really inspired by the words that you use about the more perfect democracy,
more perfect union, and how do we do that in India?
How do we take it down a notch and include people who haven't been included in this process? Education,
health care, harm reduction, these things that are so important to people in their homes, and yet they're
not voting. They haven't been included, and they feel left out. So one of the things Hoosier Action
does is to create community organizations just for Indiana people, just for Hoosiers,
to give people the tools so that we can go to the state house and talk to our state representatives.
And we can go to Washington and talk to our federal representatives. And we don't care if you voted
for Trump or if you voted for Biden. We care about what are the issues that affect you in your home,
in your community, and how are we going to make a better Indiana? And how are we going to come together
in small, rural communities and protect our
hospitals, protect our own health care, protect SNAP benefits for children. So it's really a little
more basic. And it's a little more about how it affects people and directly in their families. And how
do we get those people to participate? They may not be going to college right now. And that's a lot
of people. And remember that 40% of people
or maybe over 40%, you know better than I do, of our voting population here is independent. They're
not Democrats or Republicans. So how do we encourage people to speak up and to represent their own best
interests? So that's what we're doing at Who's Your Action by organizing small communities and then
doing some more global or more statewide work. So I encourage you to get involved, and I'll leave these
So this is an example of how enthusiastic Hoosier Action members are. I was going to ask those members
of local groups to speak on their behalf later. But enthusiasm is always a good thing. So we have one
representative, Jenny, from Hoosier Action. We also have a representative from the League of Women Voters
who have been in the business of informing voters for a long, long time. And then we have two other
groups here.
and they can all say a few things. There are going to be sign-up sheets outside. So if you want to get
more information, or if you're convinced you want to jump right in and become a member and help out,
you can do that too. So League of Women Voters. Good evening. My name is Marion, and I am on the leadership
team for the League of Women Voters. And Jenny actually gave us the perfect segue. Our mission is to
empower people to vote.
We encounter a lot of people at fairs, at town events, who think that they are registered to vote, and
in fact, they are not, or they're registered to vote somewhere else. I think a week before, they can
go to the license branch and sign up, and that is not happening either. So we, on a regular basis,
have events where we register people to vote or help people to get registered to vote. We also, during
election years, sponsor forums where we invite candidates from both parties to answer questions. We
have our meetings in public places, like schools, the library,
For example, there is a meeting at the library on April 14th. And it would be great to see all of you
there. And here, it's a forum where all the candidates from one party have agreed to join us and ask
questions about science, technology, and the environment.
A few days ago, we had one with similar or the same candidates talking about the state of healthcare
in this state. It was enlightening. There are entire counties in this state where if you call 911 after
six o'clock in the evening, nobody comes because there is no emergency room. There are no rural hospitals.
And at the end of the day, the only way we will change this picture is if we get people to vote. League
of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization. We have Democrats and Republicans on our board. So we
do not endorse particular candidates. We do endorse particular positions about health care,
housing, childcare, education, but we do not endorse particular candidates. And our current challenge
in this state is that when we sponsor forums, it is more likely than not, it is only the current opposing
party that shows up. So we are not able to present
clear picture to the people who are interested in information and there is another item that we will
not change unless we vote in significantly larger numbers than we currently do. If we have representatives
who are so sure that their party will win every district but one or two in this entire state, nothing
will change.
So again, we are the League of Women Voters. We hold quarterly meetings at St. Thomas Lutheran Church,
where we invite local speakers to come and talk to us about issues that affect us as voters and us as
citizens. And they are open to the public. They are on the second Tuesday.
I want to say once a quarter, if you log onto the website for the League of Women Daughters Bloomington
Monroe County, you can see all the events that we sponsor and all the meetings that we have where we
invite local speakers. I would greatly appreciate if you spread the word and participate. Thank you
very much. Thanks. We also have,
We're presented to you from two groups that are perhaps more specialized focus. So one of those is the
AUHI. And Annabel, you're going to say a few things about what AUHI stands for and what you guys do.
Hi everyone, I'm here with Ahi. We're advocates for the Unhoused and Housing Insecure at the University.
We're a relatively new club, so we try to get students involved specifically on housing issues
in Bloomington. So we started just a few months ago and we've been able to build a pretty impressive
base of students who are really, really great. They are really getting engaged in how to not only
work towards short-term solutions towards housing issues in Bloomington by volunteering at the Overnight
Shelter a lot, but also towards really long-term sustainable solutions. So we've been able to advocate
a bit against recent legislation that is really going to harm a lot of people. And we're really interested
in how people can work towards these sustainable solutions in our community. So it's been great. I'm
excited to see where it goes.
really great students, really great people to work with. So it's been exciting and good. Yeah. I wanted
to ask you how you're working with the city and what connections you have with the city. Yeah.
Right now, since we are pretty new, we don't have a lot of connections with the city. Personally, I
know more people. And I think people in our club do know people. But I think looking forward, our club
members would really like to get more involved.
I think it would be great to have people at least showing up to meetings where housing is discussed.
I think that is very needed advocating for or against different policies and also potentially working
with the city through meetings to think about how we can better implement solutions or respond
to legislation. So since we are pretty new, our basis is low, but I think that can be expanded.
The other group is trees, about trees. They're called Canopy. So John, do you want to say a few things
about Canopy? Sure. Thanks. Yeah, I think I've spent the second half of my career engaging communities,
mostly through the arts. But right now I'm working with a small nonprofit that's doing amazing work
here in Bloomington. It's CanopyBloomington.org.
And we are trying to build a more sustainable and equitable urban forest here throughout the city. And
we find neighborhoods that need trees the most. And we go in and we try to meet every single resident
within those neighborhoods and convince them to take free trees for the yard. We're grant and donor
funded. We have two more big plantings this spring, this Saturday and next Saturday. Or we'll plant
a couple hundred trees. So if you're interested in planting trees, check us out on the website. I also
have a sign up here.
Thanks. Thanks, John. And the last group is more broadly focused. I think it has something to do with
resistance and singing. So Kate, you want to talk about it? Or are you sisters going to fight it out?
I can speak and she can sing. But we're going to split it up. Singing resistance is a movement of singers who are
committed to protecting and caring for our communities and protecting us from growing authoritarianism.
And it really started in Minnesota this past winter. It's a kind of new movement. But it has its roots
in very old movements. So civil rights battles across the world and across the country have always used
singing and music to
sustain themselves. And Bloomington just started a chapter. There are 250 chapters. In two months, there
were pop-up chapters all across the country, 250 of them now. And Bloomington has one, and we're just
getting started. And the idea is that we will learn and teach and sing simple songs as part of political
actions and public actions to protect people, to build community,
to make our local communities stronger. So with that, I said that, and feel good, and bring joy, and
have something to do with protest other than the law of the F bomb. So here you go. Angela's going to
lead us in a song. The other thing that I really like about singing resistance is that it is
for non-professionals. I am not a professional singer. It's been years since I've sung in a choir, but
I love to sing.
Today, I spent a lot of time with my two and a half year old grandson, and we did a lot of singing.
And the earworm that is in my brain right now is, we are the dinosaurs, march, march. We are the dinosaurs,
we make the roof flat. And so, you know, that's not, I mean, if we hope to sing other songs like that,
we were at the Middle King's Rally, and there were a lot of folks
You know, there are so many issues. So tonight, I just would like to invite you to sing with me on just
a short song that is one that Serena Partridge has been singing in Minnesota. And it goes like this.
The future is calling. It's calling for vision.
And the people will sing along. And the singing will make us strong. So try that with me. We'll do it
just a piece at a time. It goes like this. And there are several people in this group that already have
been coming to some of the little gatherings. And we hope to have smaller gatherings of people where
we can discuss the issues and support each other on the issues that we think are
are important. So it goes like this. The future is calling. The future is calling. It's calling for
vision. It's calling for vision. And we will sing along. And we will sing along.
make us strong. And the singing will make us strong. So let's try it with another word. The future is
calling, is calling for trees. The future is calling, is calling for trees. Let's do it again with another
word. The future is calling,
is calling for action. The future is calling, is calling for action. Or the future is calling, is calling
for votes. The future is calling, is calling for votes. Or the future is calling,
is calling for housing the future is calling is calling for housing or the future is calling is calling
for education the future is calling is calling for education and we will sing along and we
This is probably a great way to stop. Singing for housing,
for trees, for voting, for action, for education. Even though I was seeing a little bit off key, but
it's not about that so much, I suppose. Thanks for coming. I'm going to hang around for a while. I guess
I would even be tempted. There's probably a place close by that serves decent German beverages. So if
you're old enough, I would love to just
and formally. So thanks for coming. I think this has been taped. And my understanding is the tape will
be available, shall we say, by tomorrow afternoon. So if I said anything really stupid, you can find
my mistakes there. But it's going to be available. Again, thanks for coming. And as you heard, there's
going to be lots and lots of opportunities and chances to make Bloomington, Indiana, and this country a better
That's the spirit of this evening. Thank you.