en z 0 ~ < N z < (.') a: 0 ::::::: 0 C0 N CAMPUS TALK ON ORGANIZATIONS PARTNER FOR CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS WORDS Alex Petry I I PHOTOS Ma01 Pate In October 2017, the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society and the Roosevelt lnstitute partnered to hold a panel discussion regarding the function of monuments and memorials in modern American society. Across the country in 2017, political tension surrounded Confederate statues and memorials, like the one in Searcy's town square, and called into question the way that the American South addresses its heritage and history. The idea of the panel formed after Dr.Julie Harris professor of history and sponsor of Phi Alpha Theta, was involved in several discussions about the topic with colleagues. This led her to pr pose holding a panel on the issue to the officers of Phi Alpha Theta, who agreed that the panel would be beneficial for the student body and would fit with the organizations theme for the school year: commemorations and anniversaries. enior Curt Baker, secretary for Phi lpha Theta, helped Harris organize the event by organizing faculty participants in the panel, as well as bringing in the Roosevelt Institute as a parmer in the event. The panel, moderated by President Dr. Bruce McLarty, consisted of various professors and professionals who had done intense research on the topics of monuments and memorials. The panel represented a wide variety of perspectives on the is ues addressed. Dr. Heath arpenter, assistant professor of English was asked to speak on the panel because of his research on the subject of southern identity, which was key during the discussions of Civil War monuments in the South. "My dissertation work is on southern cultural identity," Carpenter said. "I've written and thought about the subject, and so I think I was the cultural historian or culture studies per on on the panel." Harris said it was vital that the participants of the panel were not just opinionated, but that they were educated and approached the topic from a Christian perspective. ''You want to hear information that's reliable and informed," Harris said. "I know there were multiple political perspectives in that room, but nobody went to the place of [a] political party. The place we went first was the brotherhood of Christians and [also] how we create unity here on this really divi ive issue." Harris, Baker and Carpenter all agreed that the presence of timely discussion on college campuses wa essential. Baker, in particular, found the panel to be especially inspirational for his age group. "These types of con er ations are incredibly important," Baker said. "All across the country, young people [are] catalysts for the world to be a better place. It's in the incubator of college campuses that new ideas form and passions spark to better our society. These candid conversations are essential for the growth of students and non-students alike as we each con ider our place in the world and how that contributes to the flourishing of our world." I Community members in support of the Confederate Monument march outside the White County Courthouse on Aug. 18, 2017. The monument outside the courthouse was placed in 1917 through a public fundraising campaign.// Photo by Macy Pate The Searcy Confederate Monument stands on the grounds of the White County Courthouse in downtown Searcy. On Oct. 10, 2017, Phi Alpha Theta held a panel discussion titled "Raising Ebenezers" to examine both sides of the debate on Confederate monuments around the country. // Photo by Macy Pate
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