Backpacks Speaking Politics - Wake Forest University

From November 28th through November 30th, several members of Democracy Matters as well as personal friends of Jessie Vogel (one of our members) wore 10 different backpacks around campus. Each backpack illustrated a different political issue, from stem cell research to gay marriage to the war in Iraq. There were conservative and liberal issues represented, and the backpacks themselves did not support one side of an issue over another. The idea behind the project was to connect the quintessential image of a student, the backpack, to the many issues that students are passionate about. The project was designed to remind people that students today care about many issues, and that we are not as apathetic as many cynics say we are. Furthermore, the backpacks were all connected by Democracy Matters. Although many students have strong beliefs about the environment, health care, or the death penalty, under the current political system, students are powerless. The backpacks were intended to be a way to start discussions among those wearing them and other students about the need for change.

In this way, the purpose of the project was two-fold. It was designed to illustrate particular issues and encourage thought and dialogue about these issues; it was also designed to educate people about Democracy Matters and the need for campaign finance reform.

For three days, I wore a backpack around campus. I wore the Environment backpack for the first day, and then I wore the Immigration Reform backpack over the final two days. In addition to the backpacks, everybody also wore a blue hat with a red star on it to connect all those participating together. Wearing the backpack was an interesting experience. Many people asked questions about it, and I was able to discuss it for a few minutes in three of my classes (none of which relate to politics, sociology, or a similar area). Most people that I talked to were curious about what the backpack was and why I was wearing it. Many of them wanted to know what the purpose of the project was, and while I rarely got to discuss the particular issue (people were generally fairly set on their opinions), I was able to talk about bigger issues.

The project concluded on Friday, and the backpacks all being displayed in the library. They are in a high-traffic area, so even though nobody is wearing them around campus, they will still be seen by a lot of people. I had previously mentioned that the backpacks were going to be displayed with a video discussing the project, but as far as I'm aware, this is no longer the case. The library moved the display area, and it's now in a point where an audible video would be inappropriate. At the moment, I don't know of any plans to still have the video, but that could change.

Finally, the project got a lot of good press. Unfortunately, in most cases, the reporters were more interested in the artistic side of the project, so Democracy Matters is not central in any articles. The project was also featured in two TV news stories, and in at least one of these, they did include Jessie talking about Democracy Matters and its goals. (I was unable to watch the other bit.) The Winston-Salem Journal ran a piece on the project that appeared on the front of local section and included several full color pictures (the online version is here). Also, the Window on Wake Forest, the Wake Forest news service, ran a piece on it that appeared on the Wake Forest home page (the article is here). A photo gallery of the project can be found underneath the picture in the Wake article.

Benn Stancil
Democracy Matters Campus Coordinator
Wake Forest University, NC

Art and Democracy - University of Minnesota

We produced this event to unite the worlds of social justice action and art on campus, build coalitions, and increase awareness of Democracy Matters on campus. We partnered with Substance and the Arts Quarter Collective. The venue was the Steak Knife, a small restaurant off campus with a small stage which brought the social justice scene to the night life scene of Dinkytown. We had students come in and out all night and we counted 150 heads at one point. Because there was no cover, students stopped by to check out the art and grab some good food and beer and listen to some of the music before heading out to other venues nearby. Our visibility also attracted people off the streets to come check it out. There is no way we would have reached as many people with an on-campus location.

One of the highlights of the nights actually started off as a disaster when a mic broke and a group of actors had no room on stage to perform a piece about the hunger struggle in America. They decided to move the play out to the parking lot and the audience followed them out. It was cold, but the performance was so moving it didn’t matter. The fact that it was a play about homelessness and hunger and it was performed in a parking lot added an element of ironic reality.

The planning of this event was difficult because we had no experience putting on an art show. We learned a lot and formed a new coalition with a student art group on campus that helped us with artistic direction. We had some no-shows for artwork and problems with getting funding for an event at a venue that serves alcohol but it was worth it in the end because we reached a new audience.

Sarah Emmel

Democracy Matters Campus Coordinator

University of Minnesota