Professor Vincent Russell put war on trial during the People vs. War event at the Appalachian Women’s Museum on Oct. 7.
The event was organized and promoted by communication professor Vincent Russell, chair of the Diane Withrow Coyle Peace and Justice Fund. The Coyle Fund collaborated with Denver-based civic engagement non-profit Warm Cookies of the Revolution to bring their The People Versus event series to WNC.
The Diane Withrow Coyle Peace and Justice Fund is established in the Development Foundation of Western Carolina University. Its purpose is to help WCU students and the local community explore non-military, nonviolent ways to foster international peace and justice.
Russell was in charge of securing the venue, securing food, booking equipment, managing communication with the non-profit, and recruiting volunteers. Russell incorporated his students into the event by recruiting a number of them to volunteer for the event as part of a service-learning project.
The People vs. War was a mock trial where the audience acted as the jury and decided if war was guilty or innocent based on a number of trials presented at the beginning of the event. Students and faculty took the roles as the defendants and prosecutors of war and performed their arguments in a light-hearted, accessible tone to the local community.
“Life is so hard these days,” said Russell, “But if we can make civic engagement fun and interesting and provocative, it motivates folks to show up, talk to their neighbors, and think about these social issues that are impacting them. In other words, it gives them a chance to do the work of democracy—work that is increasingly necessary in the current climate.”
The event ultimately had around 70 community members and WCU students in attendance as a result of The Coyle Fund’s and Russell’s outreach and promotion efforts. The event sparked conversations between attendees and encouraged them to communicate with one another to reach their decisions, all while enjoying free food and warm cookies.
To learn more about The Coyle Fund, email WCU’s Community Engagement office at communityengagement@wcu.edu. Follow Warm Cookies of the Revolution on Instagram @warmcookiesrevolution or visit their website at https://warmcookiesoftherevolution.org.