The fall 2019 Janus forum will feature a debate between former Republican Governor Scott Walker from Wisconsin and former California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer on the successes and failures of the Trump presidency.
Boxer served in the United States Senate for 24 years representing California. She recently retired to focus on her voting-awareness Political Action Committee, PAC for a Change. During her time in the Senate, Boxer was known for her environmental advocacy and climate change activism.
Walker, a hardline conservative, ham and cheese sandwich lover and Wisconsin’s governor from 2011-2019 was praised by constituents for eliminating the state’s budget deficit without raising taxes. He was also the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election, which is a vote by the people on whether or not to remove a politician from office.
The recall election was prompted by protests surrounding a highly controversial bill Walker had passed on collective bargaining that limited the ability of workers in unions to negotiate for things like pay raises, insurance and retirement funds, all in order to close the budget deficit.
Patrick Haney, a political science professor and the associate dean of the college of arts and science, said he’s excited for this year’s debate and thinks that it could not come at a better time.
“At this time when so many Americans are divided by party and ideology, I hope students, faculty, staff and the community will turn out and come together to discuss the Trump presidency, to talk about the things that divide you and to truly listen to views we may not agree with as well,” Haney said.
The forum is sponsored by The Thomas W. Smith Project on Liberty, Democracy and Citizenship, the Miami University Department of Political Science and the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion.
Senior Nikki Gundimeda, a political science major and four-year-member of the Janus steering committee, will moderate the discussion between Boxer and Walker.
Audience members can submit questions to Gundimeda through Twitter using the hashtag #janusmiamioh, and all attendees are encouraged to engage with the discussion in diverse ways, sharing their own opinions, ideas and experiences as well as addressing any questions that they might have.
The event will start at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16 in the Armstrong Student Center’s Wilks Theater. The forum is ticketed, but anyone interested in attending can get a ticket at the box office for no charge.
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