Throughout the evening, Hoover, a noted journalist, author and host of PBS’s Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, steered the discussion across a wide range of issues, including global democratic trends, technological changes, such as artificial intelligence, and the role universities play in shaping the next generation of civic leaders.
Rice, who served as provost at Stanford University from 1993 to 1996, spoke at length about the unique role higher education plays in fostering democratic life. Universities, she added, are not just places where knowledge is produced. Rather, they are places where students encounter new ideas and perspectives
Describing universities as engines of innovation, Rice offered they are also places where students encounter differing perspectives and learn to engage thoughtfully with ideas that challenge their assumptions. That exchange, she argued, remains central to a healthy democracy. If democratic systems are to endure and improve, she told students in the audience, they must take part in sustaining them.
“Find the one thing you can do to make your democracy stronger and go out and do it,” she added. “It’s yours to keep.”
Rice’s message about their civic responsibility struck a personal chord for many students in the audience, including Buckley Nettles, a senior graduating in communication in May.
“Having the opportunity to hear from Secretary Rice and Margaret Hoover was an unforgettable experience,” Nettles said. “I left feeling inspired that college students like me have a responsibility to participate in democracy and help move it forward.”
As the evening drew to a close, Hoover concluded with a rapid-fire round of questions. Asked whether playing golf or the piano required more discipline, Rice indicated the piano demands greater commitment, particularly given her own golf game. When Hoover asked whether she was recognized more often on Stanford’s campus or at Denver Broncos games, Rice, who has been part of the ownership group of the NFL franchise since 2022, observed that while students may recognize her name, “mostly they just want to get into my class.”
The exchange brought the conversation to a close after an evening focused on democratic institutions and the responsibilities of citizenship. Rice left the audience with a final message to find their own ways to strengthen democracy, reminding them that its future depends on the willingness of each generation to sustain it.
Former SGA President Owen Beaverstock, who will also graduate next month with a degree in political science, offered final reflections on the importance of civic dialogue and participation.
“Events like tonight remind us how much dialogue matters, how much ideas matter, and that the future of our country is shaped by our willingness to participate in it.”
For more information on Auburn’s semiquincentennial programs and speakers, visit America 250 at Auburn University.
Photo by Nathaly Norman Photography