{"id":1686,"date":"2021-10-11T14:34:12","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T14:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/?page_id=1686"},"modified":"2022-01-03T16:59:54","modified_gmt":"2022-01-03T16:59:54","slug":"2021-2022-fellows","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/2021-2022-fellows\/","title":{"rendered":"2021-2022 Fellows"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet the 2021-2022 DCI Fellows Cohort!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Nathanael Bagonza<\/strong><\/p>\n

English, Political Science<\/p>\n

Haverhill, Massachusetts<\/p>\n

I am a sophomore and prospective English and Political Science major. On campus I am a Humanities Fellow and Chidsey Leadership Fellow as well as a senior copy editor for The Davidsonian<\/em>. Deliberation plays a central role in my daily life and I am always looking for opportunities to engage productively with others on topics both big and small. I participated in D-teams last semester and had a really fulfilling experience with it so I knew I had to get involved further with the Initiative. As a student co-convener I hope to catalyze creative solutions, and am interested in generating conversations where people of different ideologies and identities are able to come together.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kevin Chen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Psychology<\/p>\n

Boulder, Colorado<\/p>\n

Hi! My name is Kevin, and I am a senior psychology major and public health minor from Boulder, Colorado. Beyond academics, I am involved in Bonner Scholars, Davidson Ultimate Frisbee (DUFF), Honor Council, Reformed University Fellowship (RUF), and now, Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI). Additionally, Davidson College provided the opportunity for me to develop my humane instincts as a Nonprofit Leadership Fellow in the Summer of 2019 and as a Stapleton\/Davidson Intern this past summer.\u00a0 Collectively, my academics, activities and experiences informed my interest in becoming a DCI Fellow and Co-Convener.<\/p>\n

In 2019, I worked at Community Matters Cafe of Charlotte Rescue Mission, which is a social enterprise that provides graduates of an addiction recovery program the opportunity to gain real-world work experience, skills, and a supportive community to reintegrate back into society. Similarly, I want to participate in the process of restoring hope in the democratic process, as well as, embody and cultivate deliberative skills in my interactions with people. This past summer, I worked at Roof Above: Tryon Shelter Location, which is a merger of two nonprofit organizations (Urban Ministry Center and Men\u2019s Shelter of Charlotte) with the mission to end homelessness in Charlotte. As a result, I hope to cultivate a space for developing humility and intellectual humility, empowering all voices and valuing their experiences and perspectives.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kelly McLoughlin<\/strong><\/p>\n

Undecided<\/p>\n

Dublin, Ohio<\/p>\n

I am a current freshman at Davidson and have interests in pursuing Educational, Religious, and Hispanic Studies during my time here. I love to read, especially non-fiction books that focus on the justice system and crime in the US. I also enjoy running and ran cross country throughout high school and am now involved with the Running Club on campus.<\/p>\n

I joined the DCI because I believe the skills we teach and the topics we deliberate on are vital to the health of American Democracy. The growing polarization in our country is because people continue to talk past each other and not with each other. I think the DCI brings together people from all different backgrounds\/ideologies and has conversations that reinstate the values of empathy and egalitarianism into participants. I think it reminds people of the humanity in each of us and this foundation, one of shared humanity, empathy, and egalitarianism, is one that can heal and prevent further polarization in our society.<\/p>\n

\"\"Prithvi Singh Rai<\/strong><\/p>\n

Economics, Applied Mathematics<\/p>\n

Atherton, CA and New Delhi, India<\/p>\n

I have had the privilege of living in the United States, Great Britain, and India, three distinct democracies with even more distinct outlooks towards the democratic process. This has allowed me to witness both the merits and flaws in the dispositions present in the global political sphere. We are living in a critical juncture in human history. Never have we had access to information this conveniently, and while this access has provided us with a multitude of advantages, we still find ourselves living in an increasingly polarized world.<\/p>\n

My interest in the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative stems from the desire to counter this polarization and build a public sphere which is characterized by collaboration rather than conflict. I am particularly fascinated by the notion of deliberation as a means of productive consensus building, permitting the coexistence of contrary opinions. Our overexposure to the internet has led to the formation of prominent and easily accessible echo chambers. The unfortunate result of this has been that we are no longer engaging in discourse to understand the opinions of those we disagree with but rather solely to contradict them. My vision for our democracy is one where celebrating our differences is what propels our collective development, and I hope to utilize the DCI as my first step towards it.<\/p>\n

\"\"Benjamin Kellogg<\/strong><\/p>\n

Philosophy<\/p>\n

Myrtle Beach, SC<\/p>\n

I am a sophomore philosophy major and likely East Asian Studies double-major, from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I also work in the Davidson Sustainability Office, and play violin in the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra. After graduation, I plan to go to graduate school for philosophy.<\/p>\n

I joined DCI because it creates better citizens and better Davidson students. Through deliberation, our disagreements with fellow citizens become productive, and we become more engaged leaders in our community. We fulfill our obligations as citizens, and realize the fruits of Davidson\u2019s liberal arts dream. These things are essential if we\u2019re going to address the most pressing issues, such as oncoming ecological collapse.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kevin Garcia-Galindo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Political Science, Philosophy<\/p>\n

Raleigh, NC<\/p>\n

I am a sophomore political science and philosophy double major. I participated in a DCI D team in spring 2021 and am working this fall as DCI facilitator.\u00a0 I am very interested in deliberation and effective democracy. I’m an optimist and advocate for change within the Davidson student body for a more tolerant and inclusive community, especially when it comes to diversity of thinking and opinions. I have experience working in both presidential and congressional campaigns as an intern and am involved in campus political life through the Center for Political Engagement (CPE) organizational leaders committee. I am also involved in the Organization for Latin American Students (OLAS) as their treasurer. In my free time, I enjoy reading and writing for publications like The Davidsonian<\/em>, where I am the political correspondent, as well as listening to podcasts.<\/p>\n

\"\"Henry Griffith<\/strong><\/p>\n

Undecided<\/p>\n

Baltimore, MD<\/p>\n

Hi! My name is Henry Griffith, and I am a sophomore from Baltimore, MD! While I have not yet declared my major, I intend to pursue a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics! My love of political philosophy was sparked during a course titled \u201cDoes Democracy Matter?\u201d and much of that class is what inspired me to join the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative in the first place! The Initiative grants me the unique opportunity to amplify my understanding of deliberative theory that began in that course and, very importantly, to actually deliberate and understand how the theory corresponds with the practice itself. Outside of school and DCI, I am a distance runner on the track and field team, which occupies the rest of my free time!<\/p>\n

As I alluded to above, the principal reason I joined the DCI was that in my brief study of deliberative democracy, the thing that my classmates and I came away wondering most was how it would really work in practice. My direct experience of today\u2019s climate of political fandom and saturation along with my degree of theoretical understanding has emphasized the need for deliberative mindsets. But how this theory would actually function in tackling these present problems in the world was still unclear to me. Thus, the DCI provides me with the incredible opportunity to pursue this very question alongside my fellow facilitators and community members! And perhaps these collective actions alone will help in desaturating our own environments!<\/p>\n

\"\"Douglas Deutsch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Math<\/p>\n

Norfolk, Virginia<\/p>\n

I am a junior Math major and Neuroscience minor here at Davidson College. I am interested in environmental justice and awareness, and how progress can be made in these areas. I joined DCI this fall to teach others and myself how to productively approach large issues like this. On campus, I am captain of the club soccer team, a member of the club running team, club climbing, and a trip leader for Davidson Outdoors. I love being active, and maintaining an adventurous spirit! Back home, I have two dogs, Rooney and Finn. They are rascals but also very cute. One is a Tibetan terrier and the other is an Australian Labradoodle.<\/p>\n

\"\"Meggie Lasher<\/strong><\/p>\n

Asheville, NC<\/p>\n

My name is Meggie Lasher and I am the Research and Academic Engagement Librarian at Davidson. I am excited to be part of DCI after two semesters of participation. I view D Teams as a direct way to foster community and belonging through conversation. At the library, I support students as they navigate the research process as well as work with faculty on their information literacy goals. In my research, I advocate for digital literacy and tackle issues related to information privilege.<\/p>\n

\"\"Elaine Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charlotte, NC<\/p>\n

Since graduating from Davidson (class of 2003), I have worked with churches in varying capacities. In my most recent\u00a0role, I led a small town church in a rural North Carolina county. We worked together to care well for our neighbors, run a small business, and establish supportive affordable housing. Sometimes we thrived across cultural and political divides, and other times those differences became stumbling blocks. I joined the DCI fellows program so that I can learn more about healthy deliberation and how to foster it where it matters most–in congregations, schools, and neighborhoods. I live in Charlotte with my spouse, our two boys, and a giant dog. They provide ample opportunities to practice healthy conversation in the midst of differences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet the 2021-2022 DCI Fellows Cohort! Nathanael Bagonza English, Political Science Haverhill, Massachusetts I am a sophomore and prospective English and Political Science major. On campus I am a Humanities Fellow and Chidsey Leadership Fellow as well as a senior copy editor for The Davidsonian. Deliberation plays a central role in my daily life and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1686","page","type-page","status-publish","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Carla Cole","author_link":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/author\/carla\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":false,"rttpg_excerpt":"Meet the 2021-2022 DCI Fellows Cohort! Nathanael Bagonza English, Political Science Haverhill, Massachusetts I am a sophomore and prospective English and Political Science major. On campus I am a Humanities Fellow and Chidsey Leadership Fellow as well as a senior copy editor for The Davidsonian. Deliberation plays a central role in my daily life and…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1686"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581,"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1686\/revisions\/2581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deliberativecitizenship.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}