“I can’t think of anything more important than improving civility in our nation,” said English and journalism lecturer Carol Costello.
This idea was the genesis for her new course, “Project Citizen: Discovering America,” which takes students from two regions of the country and instructs them together. The six-week course challenged students from LMU and Kent State University in Ohio to discuss political differences and stereotypes, and recognize how they can quickly divide our country.
Costello is an award-winning journalist and former anchor and correspondent at CNN and HLN. Having interviewed former presidents from both sides of the aisle and conducted scores of in-depth reporting on a variety of hot-button topics, she understands that through conversation we can better understand our differences.
The course took students from their respective universities to the others’ campus for three weeks each. “It’s important for students to be in a different physical space, to see the environment for themselves,” said Costello. “When a student studies abroad, they know it’s going to be different. I don’t think they think the same thing is true about America.”
A gift from LMU Trustee Michael Mandelbaum and his family will allow Costello to expand the course to more students, additional locations, and potentially include other issues, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. Costello’s connections with politicians through her broadcasting career allow her to think big about the possibilities for the class.
“I’d love to take students to D.C. and invite politicians from different parties to mingle, allowing them to get to know these politicians on an equal level,” she said. “Travel is expensive, but it’s important to get students out in the community in which they’re learning. You can’t just sit in a classroom and learn anything about the place.”
Costello has found the course rewarding for her, too. “Teaching this kind of course has been life changing for me,” she said. “I’ve interviewed all different kinds of people, experienced all kinds of insane things at CNN, but teaching this class has made me feel better than anything I’ve ever done and that’s a credit to the students. I’m so grateful for the opportunities this gift presents, and can’t wait for things to get back to normal so I can implement expanded plans for the course.”
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