Credit: Malek Hinnawi ’25/Ramad.llc
With a dynamic lineup of 10 sessions over five days, the 2024 institute drew over 1,500 attendees with a deep dive into a vital topic. Speakers such as The Honorable Stephen Breyer, lawmaker Chellie Pingree ’79 (D-ME 1st District), and media personality Joe Scarborough placed today’s headlines in historical context, discussed navigating political polarization, described the pitfalls of a post-truth information landscape, and shared anecdotes, uplifting moments, and challenges of their individual careers.
Videos of the 2024 Summer Institute talks are now live at youtube.com/collegeoftheatlantic.
Credit: Malek Hinnawi ’25/Ramad.llcMichigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson spoke about the crucial role of state government in safeguarding democracy through election integrity, protecting election officials, and modeling productive dialogue. In a conversation with Joanna Lydgate of States United Democracy Center Lydia on the first full day of the institute, Benson stressed the importance of state leaders setting norms that strengthen democracy and embolden citizens’ voices.
“There is nothing more powerful in our country than the power of citizens to vote in a healthy and robust democracy,” Benson said. “People are choosing who they want to be in this moment, and my job, my hope, is, is that we can get the majority of us to lean in, to step up and engage, because that is really the only thing that will ensure our democracy is able to withstand not just this moment, but other pressure points in the future.”
Credit: Malek Hinnawi ’25/Ramad.llcCOA Board Chair Beth Gardiner and President Sylvia Torti welcomed a crowd of 500 eager participants to the opening session. Torti, who began her tenure on July 1, described the college as an apt setting for the coming conversations, highlighting COA’s transdisciplinary curriculum and the way that democracy and education intersect at the school.
“As John Dewey, the American educator and philosopher said in the early 1900s, ‘Democracy must be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.’ Since its inception, College of the Atlantic has put this idea into practice through shared governance—which is to say that students, staff, and faculty collaborate to make this college work. Everyone has a right and a responsibility in this endeavor. COA is a living, breathing, democratic process —one that is often challenging, and sometimes imperfect, but one that has served us well.”
Torti further touted the college’s close connection with democracy, proudly recalling COA students during the 2020 election, when the college shared, with three other schools, the #1 spot among 800 colleges for highest undergraduate voting rate.
Fueled by coffee and pastries from COA Take-A-Break Baker Connor O’Brien ’17, the midweek crowd was ready for an early day session with Joe Scarborough,
Credit: Malek Hinnawi ’25/Ramad.llchost of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” who dove into the challenges of disinformation in the digital age, the need for critical thinking, and the precarious impact of the decline of local news outlets. Scarborough, in conversation with The International Foundation for Electoral Systems Board Chair William Eacho, rallied for the importance of fact-based journalism, media literacy, and media integrity.
American democracy, Scarborough said, is heralded around the world, but it’s also under attack—and vulnerable.
Referring to the Declaration of Independence, he said, “How crazy—a document that has freed more people than any political document ever written. And this idea connects in Warsaw, connects with dissidents in Belarus, connects with dissidents in Caracas, connects all around the world. And it’s really, it’s an extraordinary thing, but it is a war. It is a political war between autocracy and democracy,” Scarborough said. “I think, right now, we’re winning. But what’s some of the bad news out there?”
Representative Pingree ’79 took to the institute stage with Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD 8th District) on the final night of the institute, from where the pair discussed the challenges of navigating political polarization in Congress, the important role that media can play in promoting truth, and their shared their experiences in building relationships across the aisle.
Credit: Malek Hinnawi ’25/Ramad.llc“If we’re talking about democracy, I’m glad it’s a big tent, because democracy is the system that we all take care of together, and those of us like the great Chellie Pingree and me, who aspire and attain to public office, are nothing but theservants of the people,” Raskin said. “And the moment that we begin to act, not like servants of the people, but like monarchs and kings and queens and czars and emperors and empresses and people collecting fancy emoluments and titles and all that, that is the moment to evict, eject, reject and start all over again.”
Pingree, a representative since 2009 who has championed fair elections, healthy food systems, and climate action, said that the current presidential contest is pivotal to the future of democracy in the US.
“We’re all prone to saying this is the most important election of our lifetimes, but this one is, okay—it really is.” Pingree said. “Everything is at stake in this election.”
Summer Institute sessions were attended by 350 to nearly 700 people in person, with another 100-200 watching online. Each evening session was followed by a cocktail party at the Geier Oval, with a wide array of savory appetizers prepared
Credit: Malek Hinnawi ’25/Ramad.llcand served by the COA Take-A-Break team, led by evening kitchen manager Ken Sebelin ’94. An open bar featured Lunch IPA, graciously donated by Maine Beer Company in celebration of their 15 years of support of College of the Atlantic Allied Whale, served up by Kate Unkel ’14’s Mooring Barkeep.
The Summer Institute is COA’s week-long ideas festival that welcomes experts from around the world to share their perspectives on the most pressing issues of our time. All COA summer calendar events, including the Summer Institute, are free and open to the public thanks to donations from generous supporters.