Join or Die

Join the Screenwriting Program on Thursday, October 17, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for a community screening of Join or Die.

Join or Die is a 2023 film about why you should join a club—and why the fate of America depends on it. Follow the story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of Robert Putnam, whose research into American community decline may hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis.

As the unraveling of our social fabric has accelerated in the past decade, the public is searching for fundamental explanations of our civic decline:

• Why don’t our politics or government work?
• Why can’t we see eye-to-eye with our neighbors?
• What accounts for the gap between the empowered few and the disempowered many?

The answers to these questions are complex—and no single scholar can definitively answer any of them. But Harvard professor and Bowling Alone author Robert Putnam has, perhaps more than anyone else living today, made great strides at clarifying our understanding of the roots of our civic unraveling. Even better, he is a master at translating his trailblazing social science research into engaging stories.

Our mid- and after-film discussions will be moderated by Christina Redondo. Christina believes that every gathering has the potential to change us and how we see the world. With a background as an instructor, facilitator and event planner, she specializes in creating spaces that foster deep reflection, critical thinking, and meaningful dialogue (and a bit of humor to break things up!).

This program is free and open to the Metro State community. For more information, contact Jeremy Bandow at jeremy.bandow@metrostate.edu or 612.308.9757.

For disability accommodations to make this event accessible, please contact the Center for Accessibility Resources at 651.793.1549 or accessibility.resources@metrostate.edu