How Regis Prepared for Election Day 2024

From Regis Life

As the Regis University community prepared for the 2024 general election, students, faculty and staff were immersed in the world of political campaigns — past and present.

Election season officially kicked off in September with a special exhibit hosted in the Dayton Memorial Library that highlighted artifacts of political campaigns of the past.

As Election Day neared, students engaged with election officials, including Colorado Deputy Secretary of State Chris Beall, Denver County Clerk and recorder Paul D. López and Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Amanda Gonzalez in October.

In addition, students participated in several workshops on topics ranging from how to make informed voting choices to engaging in meaningful conversations during political disagreements. And each Tuesday through the end of November, the University hosted a Civic Examen series intended to create space for reflection about the season’s complex realities.

Throughout the election season, students learned that no matter the outcome of the election, they can always rely on the Regis community to create space for dialogue.

A large museum display case featuring an extensive collection of American presidential campaign memorabilia spanning several decades. The display includes campaign buttons, posters, photographs, banners, and other political ephemera from various presidential candidates and elections.

Regis exhibit chronicles 200 years of American political campaigns

In the world of politics, slogans and campaign messages serve as the lifeblood of presidential elections. Like any brand seeking to attract customers, candidates must “sell” themselves and their vision for the future of America to voters.

Whether through bold promises of change or nostalgic calls to tradition, the way politicians craft their message is key to winning hearts and minds — and, of course, votes. But what if we could step back in time and see how these strategies have evolved since the nation’s founding?

Enter “I Approve This Message: A Visual History of American Presidential Campaigns and Elections,” a groundbreaking exhibit at Regis University’s Dayton Memorial Library. This fascinating showcase offers a window into the past, bringing to light more than 4,500 artifacts from the Notarianni Political Memorabilia Collection. Amassed by longtime Regis donors Aldo and Peggie Notarianni, the collection represents more than 200 years of presidential campaigns, capturing the ebb and flow of political culture in the United States.

The breadth of the collection is impressive. Visitors can find familiar items such as campaign buttons, bumper stickers and yard signs — but also quirky and unexpected pieces like dolls, dinner plates, cigar boxes and even bottles of liquor branded with campaign messages. These artifacts chronicle not just individual elections but the broader social movements that have shaped them.

Denver, Jefferson County clerks speak with Regis community ahead of election

Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez and Denver County Clerk Paul D. López led a highly anticipated panel discussion in September at the Dayton Memorial Library, drawing attention from students and faculty alike. The speakers, who joined a conversation with students, faculty, staff and the community, sat framed by political and election memorabilia from the past century and half–all parts of the I Approve This Message Exhibit–complementing the event.

County clerks wear many hats in their roles, as Amanda Gonzalez described. They not only process and record public documents and licensures, but they also conduct and manage both local and national elections by making decisions and striving to make voting accessible to all who are eligible.

“When I was going to run for clerk several of my friends said, ‘but you’re an attorney, why do you want to be a clerk? It sounds like somebody makes copies and files things,’” Gonzalez said. “But we are the people that are deciding where ballot boxes go, we are training election judges and testing the little things that help make our democracy work.”

A chapel filled with students watching a video presentation. The room features wooden panels, high ceilings with pendant lights, and decorative friezes along the walls. Students are seated in rows of wooden chairs, facing a projection screen showing a speaker.

Secretary of State’s Office visits with first-year students for Voting Rights Teach-In

Chris Beall, Colorado Deputy Secretary of State speaks to students during the Voting Rights Teach-In.

The 2024 general election marked the first year many first-year students could exercise their right to vote — and Regis had plenty of resources in place to make sure they were prepared to cast their ballots.

The Office of First-Year Experience welcomed Colorado Deputy Secretary of State Chris Beall to speak to a crowd of students about the election process during a Voting Rights Teach-In in the St. John Francis Regis Chapel. During the event, students learned about topics ranging from registering to vote to the importance of choosing reliable sources of information when researching ballot issues.

The event was hosted as part of First-Year Experience’s Fall Friday series, which provides space for learning beyond the classroom.

“It’s a special thing to be coming to college during a major election year, and this one is going to be a really big one,” said Liz Schwebach, the director of student engagement and leadership. “What’s awesome is that our Regis community has come together to offer programming to help support you in this process.”