Join us for an engaging series of election-year dialogues on some of the most pressing issues facing voters in 2024. In the spirit of the Socratic Dialogues—one of the organizing principles of our First Year Seminar—the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship, along with faculty, staff, and administration around campus, are organizing open dialogues on several important election-year issues. We surveyed students to see which topics were of greatest interest in the lead up to the elections, and these topics reflect those results. Facilitated by faculty, come ask questions and engage in cooperative, question-driven discussions exploring complex issues in the run up to the election.

Dialogue 1: Inflation/Cost of Living
Facilitated by Mark Howard, PhD, Associate Professor of Economics, and Prianka Musa, PhD, Assistant Professor of Finance

The cost of living and inflation are pivotal economic issues for the 2024 election, impacting a wide range of voters on everything from housing to groceries. Our first dialogue will proceed from questions like: What do we mean by inflation? Which prices have gone up the most? How do the candidates plan to make essentials like food, fuel, and housing more affordable? What effect would their other economic proposals have on inflation? How does inflation affect the job market and vice versa?

For questions, please contact Matt Ferrari at mferrari@springfield.edu or (413) 748-3818.