DIALOGUES SPEAKER SERIES RETURNS
Professor Robert Watson recently hosted the first Dialogues Speaker Series event of the semester, A Primer on the Midterm Election 2018, in the Wold Performing Arts Center.
Susan Bucher, Pamela Goodman and Brenda Snipes joined Watson as guest speakers to educate the crowd on the importance of tomorrow’s election.
Bucher serves as the supervisor of elections for Palm Beach County and previously was a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Goodman was president of the Express division of The Limited Inc. and has held various leadership roles in the League of Women Voters, while Snipes currently serves as the supervisor of elections for Broward County.
The panel of women had a clear passion for promoting voting and civility for all. Throughout the presentation, Watson asked his guests about cybersecurity within voting, what they would like to see change and the many ways individuals can vote.
“We need to get folks involved,” said Snipes. “There is a science to the election process. There are people that study this process and focus on the people that regularly vote.”
Placing more responsibility on today’s youth, the speakers acknowledged voting is no longer in their hands. Instead, they insisted, young people across the country must stay engaged to make a difference.
“We are unbelievably diverse; every vote counts,” said Goodman. “I wouldn’t encourage people to look at the polls as they aren’t always right. These elections aren’t just for your future but your children’s futures as well.”
Throughout the hour-long event, the importance of voting was discussed regularly.
“You carry something so powerful with your vote. When you do not [vote], you are just throwing that power in the trash,” said Snipes. “It all starts with that single vote.”
Hoping to educate and encourage individuals to vote, the guest speakers stressed the importance of utilizing social media. Through engaging dialogue and discussion, the panel underscored the difference one vote can make.
The Dialogues Speaker Series will continue with three more events in the spring semester, featuring Richard Norton Smith, professor Mark Luttio and Deborah Oppenheimer.
For more information, visit Lynn.edu/events.
