The Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse hosts their annual symposium on Nov. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Seidman Center on Grand Valley State University’s Pew Campus. The symposium, titled “Calm the Chaos: Honoring All Voices in Public Education,” focuses on the ways polarizing issues tend to come with dysfunctional expression in the educational setting and how to address this issue through conversation. 

The event description explains that tensions quickly rise in many school board meetings across the U.S., frequently turning what is intended to be a civil conversation into “shouting matches” and “threats of violence.” As this escalation often goes hand in hand with the political polarization of communities, the discourse symposium seeks to examine how to engage in productive dialogue and show respect for all voices.

During the panel discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to hear remarks from four educational professionals with ties to GVSU as well as Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse and former Michigan school superintendent Gregory Warsen. Individuals can take the ideas they learned from the panel by participating in moderated roundtable discussions with eight to nine other participants. 

“(Conversations have) really progressed from healthy disagreement to, you know, death threats. It’s issues like that (which) certainly motivated me to apply for the position but that’s also, I think, some of the motivation for the symposium itself,” Warsen said. “There’s got to be a better way and there is a better way, and that’s really what we want to put on display, November 16.”

Panelists will include the retired superintendent of Forest Hills Public Schools Dan Behm, Treasurer Rick Dernberger of the Ottawa County Board of Education, Taylor Preparatory Academy Dean Dominique Rickett and Grandville High School teacher Alexia Youngman. Warsen will be moderating the panel.

“There’s plenty of research and literature on disagreeing well and what that looks like,” Warsen said. “Hopefully symposiums like this kind of put some of that work on display so people get a sense of what that can look like.”

The Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse is also a member of the Listen First Coalition. This program works to bridge together traditionally polarized groups of individuals by encouraging them to listen and understand each other to find common ground. By doing so, the initiative seeks to increase social cohesion, promote identification and solve common challenges. 

“These issues are so charged right now because education and schooling is so politicized,” said Lisa Perhamus the Director of Civil Discourse Center. “I really think there’s a need to have this symposium and to have this conversation in a way that’s sort of structured and constructive to show all of us that it’s possible.”

The symposium is projected to have one of the largest audiences yet, with around 200 attendees currently RSVP’d for Thursday night. Previous years’ events have also been well-attended, providing an opportunity for insightful conversations about art, science, and current events. 

“​​The mission of the (Civil Discourse) Center is to engage people in difficult yet necessary conversations with the goal of increasing mutual understanding and deepening community,” Perhamus said. “We envision an inclusive set of communities where multiple perspectives are welcome, and every person feels respected and a sense of belonging. So, in this symposium, we’re going to be bringing a lot of different people together.” 

For GVSU students currently taking integrative studies or honors courses, the event is approved for INT 100, INT 201, and HNR 201 credit. The symposium is free and open to the general public, but individuals must register to attend. Light refreshments will be provided before the talk begins.