UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Sustainability (SustainPSU) kicked off the semester and its "Intersections" Film Series by hosting an in-person event focused on democracy and civic engagement.
On Sept. 11 at the State Theatre, SustainPSU screened the film “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower,” the true story of teenager Joshua Wong and his friends who sparked a pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong following the implementation of educational reform by China. Supporting the SustainPSU program were Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the League of Women Voters of Centre County, NextGen America, PSU Votes, and the Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State.
A panel discussion followed the film, with leaders from local community groups and Penn State campuses. This included Sylvia Neely, co-leader of the State College chapter at Citizens’ Climate Lobby; Kathleen O’Connell, Penn State liaison to League of Women Voters of Centre County; Kendall Mainzer, Penn State’s program coordinator for civic engagement and student engagement lead for PSU Votes; Maggie Shum, assistant professor of political science at Penn State Behrend; and Autumn Graham, Penn State biological sciences coordinator. Together, this group elaborated on the political conditions in Hong Kong and informed attendees of the democratic options available in the United States.
SustainPSU is guided by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which cover a wide array of issues, from education to partnerships and strong institutions. Democracy is not only a timely topic but a component of the goals and a priority in SustainPSU’s programming.
At the conclusion of each film, SustainPSU offers a handbill with additional information, communities and organizations related to the topics presented, and next steps. View the handbill here or at the "Intersections" website.
Next week, SustainPSU will continue its fall programming with its Sustainability Showcase Series, a speaker series that brings sustainability leaders to Penn State, in-person and virtually, to share their expertise, visit classes and connect with the community over a few days. The upcoming speaker is photographer, author and Penn State alumnus Tim Palmer, at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in Foster Auditorium. Register here or online at sustainability.psu.edu/showcase.
For more information about the events, or about co-sponsoring future events, contact Grant Rowe, public programming coordinator for Penn State Sustainability, at ger5277@psu.edu.