Matthew Report
By Amanda Contessa and Max Nokes | Edited by Kayla Muller
Contessa’s Report
Nov. 5, 2024. Election Day in the United States. Most Americans were pacing around their homes, anxiously flipping through the television, waiting with bated breath to see which candidate would persevere. Who would reach the coveted 270 on this fateful night?
The stakes were at an all-time high, with abortion rights, immigration and economic policies on the table. Before the election, the U.S. political landscape was plagued with an attempted assassination, an incumbent president ending his reelection campaign, and the first Black woman on a primary Presidential ticket.
Yet, in the small cafeteria of Tiber Campus at John Cabot, nearly 150 students and 20 faculty resided and anticipated the results of this transformative night—a night that would change the world.
Only it was not nighttime, but rather the early hours of Wednesday, as students chatted at tables, dashing to the bar, collecting espressos as they prepared for the long morning that awaited them.
The night – beautifully organized by the fervent efforts of Student Government – began with impassioned speeches from JCU President Franco Pavoncello; Student Government President Sebastian Terrazas; and Student Government Vice President Harman Singh. Their speeches imbued the importance of young people in political conversations, and how their voices matter more than ever in this ever-changing political landscape.
There were also moments of fun during the night. Student Government provided some Jeopardy games, with topics ranging from American history, American politics, and simple popular culture.
At around 12:45 a.m., a diverse panel of experts, including Professor Federigo Argentieri, Dean Pamela Harris, and Professor Andrea Moudarres from JCU, as well as external guests Jeffrey Karp from Brunel University of London, and Daniele Fiorentino of Universita Roma Tre, gathered for a multidisciplinary conversation. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise brought a global perspective to discussing U.S. politics and the impact of elections.
Students noted their presence as wanting to familiarize themselves with U.S. politics, now more than ever.
One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, recognized the importance of their attendance, even as a non-American. Attending international school throughout their life has exposed them to a multitude of perspectives, particularly from Americans.
“It’s interesting to see and read about the policies that the country wants,” they said. They noted specific policies they are compelled to on a humanitarian level, and wish to see the world become a more inclusive place for all identities.
Student Maria Luisa Miranda from Brazil has a grandfather involved in Brazilian politics, so much of her family life has been informed by politics.
“I want to understand more about U.S. politics and get involved in it because I have so many friends that are impacted by this election,” said Miranda.
Nokes’ Report
At around 3:30 a.m., we had the chance to chat with two members of Student Government to discuss how they were feeling about the event: President Sebastian Terrazas, majoring in Art History and Classical Studies, and Vice President Harman Singh, majoring in International Affairs. The Student Government helped bring this event back, as the last was held in 2016.
With the help of Student Engagement and faculty, the Student Government ensured a welcoming and engaging event for this year’s election.
How did you go about, specifically as an U.S. citizen at John Cabot, working with the university to plan an event that was as accepting and embracing of different political affiliations as possible without catering to one over the other?
Harman: First, from the choice of the TV station that is playing right now, you’ll notice it’s NBC, which is a multi-panel from NBC featuring Lester Holt. It’s not MSNBC, it’s not CNN, and it’s not FOX News, which are perceived to have bias. We chose to use the most trustworthy and middle-of-the-road reporting that we can.
Second, if you look at the panel, we tried to grab a diverse group of professors from JCU and experts around the community to give multidisciplinary and multifaceted insights into the elections.
If you’ll notice, not everyone here is an International Affairs or Political Science major—there are students majoring in Art History, Communications, Business Administration, and students from the master’s programs as well. The effort is to educate everyone so that we have a more academic understanding of what is going on.
We also want to create a fun environment, one where we don’t have people arguing with one another. There are drinks, snacks, and an opportunity to hang out and be social.
How are you feeling with the overall vibes of everything? Do you notice a shift, or has everything been cohesive? You guys have been engaging with different students– are they anxious, were there any nerves before the event? Are you happy with the turnout of everything?
Harman: I’m really excited by the turnout of students and the level of engagement that they’ve shown, particularly during the panel discussion. We broke records, with around 180 signups. Overall, I’m really excited.
Sebastian: I was a bit nervous—throughout last week I overheard several groups that were planning to come specifically to make light of the misfortune of the political situation in America. I felt like it would be a heavy atmosphere and that wouldn’t have helped. Arriving here took a weight off my shoulders, and I found that the atmosphere was rather pleasant.
How are you feeling as a non-American about the election without giving a political opinion?
Sebastian: That’s sort of my worry– if I were another student, I wouldn’t really care, but since I’m in Student Government, I feel I must maintain impartiality and support.
As the rest of the night went on, despite what people would think of the results that were coming live, the event was still a community moment for JCU. Student Government and faculty created an event that focused more on education and community rather than a moment just to watch election results.
The panel saw students learn from Professors and their insights into this complicated, yet important, election and thanks to great food, coffee, and multiple Jeopardy games, students were able to have fun on an otherwise anxious day. With the success of this election’s watch party, we hope that more events like this can happen in the future.
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