The Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) and CarlsVote hosted “All Politics Are Local” on Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Olin 141, a 90-minute panel on how local and state offices support communities on issues including immigration, funding cuts and freedom of speech. The flyer that circulated on campus listed Minnesota state Rep. Kristi Pursell, Northfield Mayor Erica Zweifel and Northfield School Board Chair Claudia Gonzalez-George as speakers. Students registered by QR code, and dinner was provided.
Lily Wong ’26, a CCCE student fellow who coordinated the event, said planning began in the summer to line up schedules across offices.
“The All Politics Are Local panel is an event we’ve done in the past couple of years where we invite local leaders from different levels – city, county, state – to come and speak to students about what they do, the importance of local work and what students’ role is in politics while living in Northfield,” said Wong.
Planning for this year’s event began in July. According to Wong, early planning is essential for coordinating with speakers and narrowing down a time that works for everyone.
“Coordination for an event like this is super easy working at the CCCE, because I have support from my supervisor, Danielle Trajano and the other student fellows I work with,” Wong said. “It really is a team effort, and we delegate roles so things run smoothly day of.”
Lizzie Appelbaum ’28, a CCCE Peace, Conflict and Democracy cohort fellow, moderated the discussion. According to Appelbaum, the cohort invites local representatives each year and that this iteration brought together city, school board and state perspectives to explain how national debates show up in Northfield.
Appelbaum estimated a turnout of between 25 and 30 students. The program opened at 6:00 p.m. with food and time for students to write questions on index cards. After brief introductions, Appelbaum led discussion on a set of questions covering federal policy changes tied to immigration, federal funding and free speech. This discussion was followed by an opportunity for students to ask questions.
Appelbaum said panelists offered practical steps for students new to Northfield who want to follow or join local work. “A lot of them talked about listening to local radio as a good source for hyper-local issues,” she said. Speakers also emphasized constituent outreach.
“Rep. Pursell really stressed that if we have ideas or issues, she serves us, so reaching out to her office is important,” Appelbaum said.
The audience Q&A focused on ways Carleton students can become civically engaged in the Northfield community even if they are temporary residents. Appelbaum said that panelists pointed students to CCCE programs that connect to city needs and encouraged contacting elected offices about topics that matter to them.
One prompt asked how public officials avoid burnout. Appelbaum said that panelists shared personal routines and noted the value of staying grounded while working on long-running issues.
Another prompt invited each official to highlight current projects. Appelbaum said that Zweifel described efforts to expand access to composting in Northfield and other city initiatives. Panelists also outlined how school district governance and state legislation intersect with city operations.
Wong said she heard positive feedback afterward. “I unfortunately did not attend, but it sounds like it went well! I wouldn’t change anything about the planning process, things were pretty smooth,” she said.
The event took place in Olin 141’s large lecture hall. According to the Sept. 29 campus announcement, the CCCE and CarlsVote organized the panel to explain “the role of local and state offices in supporting their communities” and to connect students with the officials.