The Lindenwood - Fall 2020

14 15 FALL 2020 EDITION FALL 2020 EDITION THE LINDENWOOD THE LINDENWOOD LINDENWOOD EVENTS FACULTY PROFILE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, SOCIAL AWARENESS, AND STUDENT VOTERS by Hailey Carver ‘21 In lieu of the traditional homecoming festivities, Lindenwood hosted Spirit Week October 26 to 31, as a new weeklong series of events that adhered to safety guidelines, while providing engaging and fun activities for the Lindenwood family. The weeklong series of events included a door decorating competition, an alumni “Hallo- Zoom” party, a Dwelling Dance, and many more interactive activities. The range of events allowed students the opportunity to be involved in campus-wide socially distant activities, or the convenience of participating from their very own room or home. One of the more popular events was the Lindenwood University Food Fight, where local eateries showcased Lindenwood themed menu items throughout the week, in an effort to get the most votes from the Lindenwood community. Other popular events included a T-shirt giveaway, LU Cribs, and the Alumni Hall-Zoom Party, where alumni joined in on a spirited zoom party which included spooky conversation, a costume contest, and a Lindenwood alumni swag box for the contest winner. Students also enjoyed Hallowed Walls, where they had the opportunity to display their artistic talents by painting a mini mural, incorporating their pride for Lindenwood, as well as their individual organizations. The murals were displayed along Butler Way Street. The three winning organizations were announced during the Let’s Get Quizzical Spooky Spectacular Night, where they were each awarded a $100 credit toward their organization. To close out the week, students were invited to dance the night away from the comfort of their home, while streaming a special concert by Queens Blvd. Students who attended the Dwelling Dance were invited to share a photo of themselves enjoying the concert in their Halloween costume for a chance to win a prize. CAMPUS LIFE CAMPUS LIFE Led by the desire to increase voter turnout, Dr. Amy Estlund and Dr. Barbara Hosto-Marti created the Generation Z Leading the Vote Initiative. With the help of funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health, Estlund and Hosto-Marti are helping Lindenwood and the surrounding St. Charles community realize that they, too, have a voice. “It is important to be knowledgeable on local and national politics and policies,” Estlund said. “We have a great power to vote for people to represent us. Politics and policies are complicated subjects and we can use this opportunity to make it a little easier to understand, so college students feel empowered to get involved and voice their opinion.” Through this joint initiative by the School of Health Sciences and the School of Humanities, Estlund and Hosto-Marti held voter registration drives, workshops, and outreach activities. As equity and improvement in public health can depend on the voice and participation of the community, Lindenwood and the Foundation are seeking to engage more communities. “Even before the pandemic I knew this election was going to be critical to the health of our democracy,” Hosto-Marti said. “Increasingly people, especially young people, are losing faith in their government because they do not feel that the people in office represent them.” Estlund and Hosto-Marti named this initiative in hopes of empowering their community and encouraging them to get involved with the November primary and future elections. Another goal they hoped to achieve was an increase of voter turn-out in low voter-turnout areas in St. Charles. “This grant was to promote election participation and voter education with people who are not normally engaged in the process. I was excited about the opportunity to get our students and underserved populations in St. Charles engaged,” Hosto-Marti said. Lindenwood helped voters check their registration status, mobilized voters who are new to the process or have limited access to voting, aided in voter protection efforts, and educated communities on voting and the democratic process. “I hope Lindenwood has a positive influence and position in the greater St. Charles community. We can serve our neighbors in new and different ways. We knew this would be an excellent opportunity to bring activism, engagement, and education,” Estlund said. DR. BARBARA HOSTO-MARTI This grant was to promote election participation and voter education with people who are not normally engaged in the process. I was excited about the opportunity to get our students and underserved populations in St. Charles engaged. Students work to encourage the community to vote Logo and theme for Spirit Week 2020 Student organizations painted Hallowed Walls mini murals along Butler Way