With so many rallies and marches about democracy and what the state and federal government are doing for colleges, A&T offers a course that allows students to experience the decision making process. The honor’s seminar course is called “Doing Culture: Reclaiming Democracy” and it is a course that focuses on democracy within the education system.

Professor John Humphrey of the department of liberal studies teaches the course and feels that students can really get a democratic experience as they teach the course according to democratic principals.

“Students involved are participating and taking control of what the class does,” said Humphrey. “With many issues in the world, students can discuss these issues amongst each other and figure out ways to bring awareness to them.”

A&T along with UNCG, Greensboro College, Guilford College, Elon University and Bennett College are all apart of the course as they talk about the effects towards the educational system along with local issues.

“We have been talking about the way of which education can make an impact in the democratic country and complex issues such as homelessness, race and poverty,” he said.

With a mixture of students of different backgrounds, races and class, students are granted different perspectives and the opportunity to discuss their experiences in the class. They do projects on strong political moments such as the Occupy Movement that was in Greensboro.

Humphrey expressed that the Occupy Movement is one experience that his students really enjoyed as they got a chance to work hands on and participate in school board meetings, community board meetings as well as join in on decision-making events pertaining to the event.

Overall, Humphrey’s students enjoyed the movement but found it frustrating yet interesting because they discussed issues amongst city officials.  

“This class is hands on and students come together to share their experiences in life and the end results of their projects,” he said. “Students who participated got to see how grassroots democracy works.”

One thing Humphrey has his students do is write ethnography. Ethnography is an account of their own educational experience, distribution of money and how that affects school and education as a whole in the school system.  In doing so he hopes to give them a view on different forms of education and how it affects democracy.

He feels that this is not a regular academic course, but it is more experimental learning for students who enroll.

“I think it is very important for students who want to be involved with politics. This class is perfect for those who are interested in law, government and politics,” he said.

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• Erik Veal, Editor-in-Chief