Knox College students in the Issues in Contemporary Elections course explored the 2016 presidential campaign from multiple perspectives, examining candidates' positions on key issues and discussing the roles of the media, technology, and polls.

Nine members of the Knox faculty team-taught the fall term course, offering their expertise on economics, political science, the environment, and other subjects. In one session, for example, Assistant Professor of Journalism James Dyer discussed the importance of "image" in political campaigns. "Image is everything," he said, adding that a candidate's image can be manipulated.

Students said they appreciated the course's multi-dimensional approach.

"By looking at the campaign and election through different lenses, this class has been beneficial at helping me to frame the process differently," said Kayti Everette '18. "There are aspects of elections that are often overlooked by the electorate, especially when the election is framed sociologically."

"Having multiple professors teaching about their areas of expertise makes this course unique in that you are learning from experts in their field about different aspects of the election," she added. "Rather than just learning about campaigning and elections in general, one is learning how social and political theory intersect with technology and the economy to impact the course of an election."

Cortney Hill '17 said the course helped him become a better-educated voter who thoughtfully considered the candidates' views on such issues as education, health care, and gender inequality in the workforce.

"Like any class, it taught me how to ask questions. It led me to think about more questions," Hill said.

Another aspect of the course involved guest speakers, such as journalist Bob Secter, a former Chicago Tribune political reporter and editor who now is the Better Government Association's director of investigations. About two weeks before the November 8 elections, Secter visited Knox to present a lecture about the media and politics.

The media have become increasingly "fractured," and people can "choose their own facts," he said. As a result, it's not easy for voters to locate reliable information about the candidates they're considering. "There's great information to be found, but you have to work a lot harder than you used to to find it," Secter said.

Students and faculty from the Issues in Contemporary Elections course also participated in a campuswide Election Night viewing party, where they monitored state-by-state results on big-screen television sets, laptops, and hand-held devices.

Associate Professor of Political Science Andrew Civettini, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Ole Forsberg, and Professor John Dooley, William and Marilyn Ingersoll Chair in Computer Science were on hand at the party to answer election-related questions.

Photo at top of page: Students watch one of the 2016 presidential debates.