Author Jonathan Rauch to confront conspiracy theories, fake news and more at Oct. 28 ASU event – ASU News Now

October 22, 2021

Almost a year into the new administration, millions of Republicans still believe (falsely) that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election while many Democrats believe (falsely) that Republicans stole the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race. The accusations are fueled by conspiracy theories, trolling, name-calling and disinformation, contributing to the fracturing of the country. Today, Americans can’t agree on even basic facts.

This is the topic of the lecture presented by The Atlantic author and senior fellow of the Brookings Institution Jonathan Rauch at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, in the ASU Memorial Union on the Tempe campus. Jonathan Rauch will discuss Americans’ inability to agree on even basic facts.

Rauch joins the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership as a speaker in the Civic Discourse Project 2021–22 series “Renewing America’s Civic Compact.” The event is free and open to the public both in-person and livestreamed on YouTube.

Register here

Collective search for truth

As Rauch points out in his new book “The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth,” Americans can restore a common reality by following James Madison’s principles of pluralism, persuasion and compromise, which govern not only our politics but also our collective search for truth.

“With this lecture, we at (the school) rededicate ourselves to our mission to foster an interdisciplinary and balanced environment for debating ideas that are critical to our democracy,” said Paul Carrese, director of the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership. “It is possible to find common ground, agree on facts and truths while maintaining tolerance.”

Rauch’s work focuses on the pressing contemporary subjects of freedom of speech and thought, political polarization and gay marriage. He is a senior fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and contributing writer of The Atlantic, author of eight books and many articles, and he has received two of the magazine industry’s leading prizes — the National Magazine Award (the industry’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize) and the National Headliner Award.

About the Civic Discourse Project

The Civic Discourse Project is co-sponsored by ASU’s School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU, and supported by the Jack Miller Center and by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR).

The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership is an academic unit inside The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. Founded in 2017, the school combines liberal arts education with outside-the-classroom learning experiences to prepare students for leadership roles in the public and private sectors. The school also hosts a robust public programming schedule in its Civic Discourse Project, which addresses the pressing issues of our times and is aired on Arizona PBS. All lectures are free, open to the public and available for viewing at scetl.asu.edu and on YouTube. For more information about the school’s academic offerings and events, visit scetl.asu.edu

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is one of the nation’s preeminent law schools, focused on offering students a personalized legal education. Ranked No. 1 in Arizona since 2010 and No. 25 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, ASU Law offers students the opportunity to tailor their education, to match externships to their interests and to utilize career services resources to help land their ideal jobs. For more information, visit law.asu.edu.

October 22, 2021

The ASU Alumni Association now is accepting applications through Nov. 30 for Sun Devil 100, an annual awards program that recognizes the fastest-growing ASU alum-owned or -led businesses and organizations annually. 

Sun Devil 100 honors companies of all sizes, from individual business owners to large corporations, in dozens of industries, including architecture, construction, education, food and beverage, legal services, nonprofit, technology and transportation. Previous honorees include Pocket Your Dollars, Willmeng Construction, Brooks Winery, Catholic Charities Community Services Inc., Freestar and Hint Inc. Download Full Image

Now in its eighth year, the Alumni Association is adapting the program’s recognition model to honor the fastest-growing businesses in three financial tiers.

“We are excited to advance Sun Devil 100 by adding financial tiers and to celebrate businesses at different stages of growth,” said Christine Wilkinson, president and CEO of the ASU Alumni Association. “The addition of tiers gives honorees the ability to be ranked in similar revenue categories, recognizing more alumni entrepreneurs who exemplify success, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation.”

To be considered for Sun Devil 100, companies must be Sun Devil-owned or -led, have been in business for at least three years, have shown revenues of more than $250,000 in a calendar year and operate in a manner consistent with the ASU Charter. Eligible companies will be ranked by their percentage increase in gross sales and revenue for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Companies will be placed into one of three financial tiers based on their revenues from 2020. The tiers are:

• Revenues of $250,000-$1.999 million.
• Revenues of $2 million-$9.999 million.
• Revenues of $10 million-plus.

All qualifying companies will be inducted into the Sun Devil 100 Class of 2022, and the top fastest-growing companies in each of the three tiers will be specially recognized at the awards ceremony. Sun Devil 100 honorees become part of a network for ASU alumni entrepreneurs and business leaders, receive recognition in a special section of the Phoenix Business Journal and serve as an inspiration for future alumni entrepreneurs.   

The Sun Devil 100 Class of 2021 collectively generated $6.67 billion in total revenue, employed more than 8,400 people, had an average of 20.2 years in business and has locations in 11 states. This class had a record-breaking 132 Sun Devil inductees who hold degrees from 16 schools and colleges within ASU. 

Apply today for the Class of 2022. Submissions will be accepted through Nov. 30.