Opinion | An open letter to the Civic Engagement Initiatives team

Caden McQueen, sophomore film studies major

On the morning of Feb. 1, 2021, your Instagram page @chapmancivic introduced the Chapman community to “No Politics Day,” a self-proclaimed “day away from politics” designed to offer momentary respite “from the sometimes difficult situations politics creates in the country.” It was promised to be a week-long social media campaign, complete with daily discussion prompts and a raffle to incentivize participation. 

As I’m sure you’re all aware, the student body wasn’t exactly receptive — not a single one of the post’s 143 comments, as of Feb. 7, were positive. “No politics day sounds a lot like ‘turning a blind eye to things that don’t directly affect my day,’” wrote @jessicaazhang, echoing the general disappointment and anger expressed by so many other users. 

A few hours later, the first prompt of the week received a similar reaction. Students didn’t seem interested in discussing what “a day without politics” would look like. To Chapman students, everything this campaign represents directly impedes the ongoing fights for justice and equality that our nation has been embroiled in since its inception. 

Despite the context provided in your apology post, I believe these students’ negative responses toward this week without politics were absolutely justified. 

I don’t find any issue with the campaign’s expressed intentions of prompting reflection on whether or not it’s even possible to have a day without politics, nor do I feel it’s inherently problematic to acknowledge the burnout that comes from spending constantly immersing in politics. They are valuable and important conversations to have. When implemented properly, they can better equip individuals for navigating the current political landscape. 

What I take issue with is how the concepts of political burnout and politics in general have been framed by the Civic Engagement Initiatives team. 

I fail to understand how, as stated in your apology, you were “by no means trying to promote a day without politics” with a campaign titled “No Politics Day” that encouraged readers to have “a day away from politics.” Regardless of intention, that is the message your campaign imparted. Claiming anything otherwise is hypocritical. I, like my peers, find that to be concerning for a number of reasons. 

Although it may not have been your intent, the “No Politics Day” campaign feels like an attempt to offer space and encouragement to those privileged enough to ignore the political problems around them. While this would be controversial any day of the year, the fact that your team selected the first day of Black History Month to do so only exacerbates the root issue at hand. 

This is a time intended to lift up those who have historically lacked and still lack the privilege to ignore these problems, who have spent their whole lives dealing with them and who are fighting like hell to overcome them. To blatantly disregard Black History Month and instead advertise the exact opposite of its goals is privileged, disrespectful and ignorant.

In the future, I implore you to instead use this same (intended) concept of supporting students and helping them take a breath in a more dignified and conscientious manner. Offer tips on navigating burnout, rather than presenting ways to simply ignore it. Write discussion prompts that spur investigation into how deeply politics are ingrained in our lives. Help people realize just how influential they can be to the world around them. 

As the fictional presidential candidate Hal Phillip Walker said in Robert Altman’s 1975 film “Nashville,” “Let me point out two things. Number one, all of us are deeply involved with politics whether we know it or not and whether we like it or not. And number two, we can do something about it.”