Dole Institute announces second half of spring semester programs
LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced the second half of its spring 2024 programming lineup, featuring a student-led program on the 2023 Kansas Speaks opinion survey, the annual Easter Egg Roll, the 2024 KU Security Conference keynote address featuring retired U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove, the annual Dole Lecture and the return of The Counselors program.
Kansas Speaks
This spring’s Student Advisory Board Program, Kansas Speaks: The Crossroads of Policy and Public Opinion, will take place at 7 p.m. March 25. The program features Kansas Speaks Policy Fellow Alexandra Middlewood as well as Kansas State Reps. Christina Haswood and Nick Hoheisel — both of whom are members of the Kansas Future Caucus.
The program will include a discussion on insights from the 2023 Kansas Speaks public opinion survey, which is produced by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University. The survey addresses issues such as marijuana legalization, Medicaid expansion, abortion rights, climate change and others. This event will explore crucial topics affecting young people and the wider community in Kansas, combining data-driven insights from the survey with real-world experiences and legislative perspectives. This program is presented by the Dole Institute Student Advisory Board (SAB) and moderated by coordinator Allie Haggar.
Easter Egg Roll with Dole
The Lawrence family-favorite tradition of the Easter Egg Roll with Dole will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 30. Free and open to the public, the event will feature an egg rolling race inspired by the White House Easter Egg Roll, egg hunt, bunny corral, live music, story time, children’s musician, game, crafts and more. The Easter Egg Roll is sponsored by Walmart with special thanks to partners the Lawrence Public Library and the Lied Center of Kansas. For more information, please visit the Dole Institute’s website.
KU Security Conference
On April 10, retired U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, will open the 2024 KU Security Conference with a keynote address at the Dole Institute of Politics. This address will kick off a two-day conference at KU aimed at bringing together scholars and practitioners from academia, the intelligence community and the military.
This program is presented in partnership with the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence and the Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies.
Dole Lecture
The annual Dole Lecture will take place at 7 p.m. April 16 and will honor Bill Kurtis, a KU alumnus, journalist, network news anchor, producer and rancher. Kurtis will join Dole Institute Director Audrey Coleman for a discussion of his Kansas roots and the news that shaped the nation over the course of seven decades in journalism.
The Counselors
On April 23, SAB members and Washburn University School of Law students will join attorneys Ed Duckers and Pedro Irigonegaray for The Counselors program. The program, reimagined in 2022 to incorporate student involvement, contains qualities of both a mock trial and a debate — featuring expert witnesses, cross-examination and student-led research.
SAB members Nathan Binshtok, Jaspreet Kaur, Riley Keiter and Matvey Tabakh will join Washburn Law students Caitlin Riffer and Sarah Vargas for the program, which will focus on whether to implement term limits for Supreme Court justices. The program is presented in partnership with the Washburn University School of Law.
Detailed information on programs can be found at the Dole website. All programs will take place in person at the Dole Institute and be livestreamed on the institute’s website and YouTube channel.