Encouraging Civic Involvement Through Pizza: A Semester Recap of Pizza & Politics

December 15, 2024 - Features

by Nathan Binshtok | Pizza & Politics Coordinator

Dole Institute student employees and staff pose for a photo with Matt Beat after a Pizza & Politics program at the Kansas Union. Photo by Kenna McNally.

Boasting a menu of complementary pizza for students, Pizza & Politics fosters student involvement in political discourse at the University of Kansas and connects students to professionals who have strong local ties inside and outside the KU community. Programs feature an interview moderated by a member of the Dole Institute’s Student Advisory Board and an opportunity for students to ask questions.

The fall semester kicked off on September 13 with an interview with Matt Beat, a Lawrence-based YouTuber with over 1 million subscribers. Beat answered questions on the Electoral College and several problems—and potential solutions—regarding our electoral system. The audience was eager to engage with Mr. Beat, asking a variety of questions about potential reforms such as ranked-choice voting. Several students even stayed behind to take pictures with our local celebrity after the event concluded.

Pizza and Politics Coordinator Nathan Binshtok speaks with Jerry Seib during a program discussing the implications of the national debt. Photo by Kenna McNally.

Our following program shifted gears to discuss the ongoing debates surrounding the growing national debt and budget deficits. This conversation took place in Capitol Federal Hall and was hosted in partnership with the University of Kansas School of Business. Jerry Seib, former Washington Executive Editor of The Wall Street Journal and a KU alum, steered students through a discussion on the national debt, addressing how it can be both an asset and a liability to the United States. Given the staggering amount of debt, students expressed concern about the long-term consequences of the government’s annual deficit. Many business students also received their first introduction to Pizza & Politics, along with the Dole Institute of Politics at this event.

Students gather in the Alderson Auditorium at the University of Kansas Memorial Union for the 3rd Pizza & Politics program of the semester. Photo by Kenna McNally.

On November 1, we hosted Mark Johnson, an adjunct faculty member in the KU schools of law and journalism, and Kirk Sampson, a faculty member in the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence at KU. The pair examined both sides of the case in our program about the TikTok divest-or-ban bill signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this year. The discussion primarily focused on the 1^stAmendment challenges being argued at the time in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, as well as the pressing national security concerns behind the potential TikTok ban. A partnership with the KU National Security Club drew an engaged student audience who raised thoughtful questions on cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

The final program of the semester featured KU Professor Zachary Mohr from the School of Public Affairs and Administration. Professor Mohr led students through a discussion on the financial health of Social Security, beginning with its history, its establishment, and Senator Bob Dole’s role in the 1980s bipartisan compromise that saved the program. The conversation then shifted to potential solutions for the program’s insolvency concerns, which included points featured in Professor Mohr’s 2019 paper. The final Pizza & Politics of the semester concluded with a consideration of the political will needed to reach such solutions, and the broader implications for university students.

Professor Zachary Mohr leads a discussion on the future of Social Security during the final Pizza and Politics event of the semester. Photo by Kenna McNally.

It has been a pleasure serving as the Pizza and Politics Student Coordinator this semester, and I look forward to continuing in this role next spring. I am deeply grateful to my fellow student workers for always helping with these programs, KU students for being a wonderful audience, and the staff at the Dole Institute of Politics for all the guidance and support!

Nathan Binshtok is the Pizza and Politics Coordinator at the Dole Institute of Politics. In his role, Nathan hosts discussions with local leaders to promote civic discussion and political engagement at the University of Kansas, where he is a second year studying Economics and Political Science. He plans on attending law school after graduating.

About the Dole Institute
The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, a vibrant forum for civil discourse, civic engagement, and idea exchange across the political spectrum, features historical archives, exhibits, and public programs for all ages. Inspired by the public service of native Kansan, veteran, legislator, and statesman Senator Bob Dole and his wife Senator Elizabeth Dole, visitor galleries feature changing exhibits, the Kansas Veterans Virtual Memory Wall, architectural-scale stained glass American flag, and September 11 memorial.