By David Medzerian

Copyright usc

When USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim was searching for a speaker to kick off USC’s inaugural celebration of International Day of Democracy, he set a high bar.

Kim said he sought someone who not only had demonstrated a genuine commitment to reforming democracy but would also generate excitement across the university. Kim joked that it would also be great if the speaker somehow resembled Tommy Trojan. Kim initially thought that person didn’t exist — until a light bulb went on in his head: “I FaceTimed a number and up popped the Terminator.”

Kim didn’t anticipate that interest in the event would be so overwhelming as to cause “the registration system … to actually crash” within the first minute of opening. More than 500 people — mostly students — ultimately gathered for “A Democracy Day Dialogue” at Town and Gown on USC’s University Park Campus on Sept. 15.

Seated across from Kim on stage, an amused former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger responded: “I know that you are a very smart person, very academic, and you’re a great leader, extraordinary human being — but I did not know that you had such a great sense of humor.”

In a wide-ranging conversation during USC’s celebration of the International Day of Democracy, Kim and Schwarzenegger discussed the role of universities in the crucial mission of preserving democracy in the United States.

“We have something very unique and very powerful in America here, which is democracy,” Schwarzenegger said. “We have got to protect it, and we [have] got to go and fight for it.”

He added: “Democracy is not a spectator sport. We’ve got to participate. … That is the important thing there, and everyone has the power to participate.”

The event included 60 students from the USC Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., who joined remotely and were able to ask questions. More than 2,800 other people watched the event via livestream — the first time the university brought the University Park and Capital campuses together to participate in a live event.

Schwarzenegger, who rose to fame as a world champion bodybuilder before reaching movie superstardom, served as governor of California from 2003-11. He founded the USC Schwarzenegger Institute at the USC Price School of Public Policy in 2012 to advance solutions that transcend partisanship and political gridlock.

“I think the key thing for any student is to fight for democracy,” Schwarzenegger told the audience. “At USC, of course, you learn how to participate. I’m so proud of the students at USC, because I’ve seen it firsthand since we have an institute here.”

Space for civil discourse in a divided country

Schwarzenegger placed blame for political divisiveness across the country on social media companies, mainstream media companies, and both the Democratic and Republican parties.

“We’re getting hit from so many different angles, and we have to be very careful that we don’t get any closer to that cliff,” he said, “because when you fall down that cliff, down there there is no democracy.”

Schwarzenegger stressed that he has not lost hope for American democracy.

“I think it is very important that we turn this around and that we show people power, because the people can turn this around,” he said. “Each and every one of you in here can make a difference. You can show leadership.”

Schwarzenegger urged Democratic and Republican clubs and organizations on campus to try to work together to solve problems and find common ground on divisive issues.

Before the event, Kim emphasized the importance of the exchange of ideas at USC. “Maintaining an open mind is important both to democracy and to great scholarship and learning,” Kim said.

Kim has made civil discourse one of the pillars of his leadership. He told the audience that whether you “agree or disagree” with a speaker or a leader on an issue, civil discourse on campus gets “everyone thinking more about what they believe.”

Students react to Hollywood icon

Junior Tobi Nwodo of the USC Marshall School of Business, who quickly darted to the microphone to be among the first in line during the question-and-answer section of the event, came away impressed.

“I thought [Schwarzenegger] was exemplary,” Nwodo said after the event. “I’m glad he came here and expressed his views and gave a platform for democracy, which is such a hot topic in today’s society.”

Doctoral student Ania Serbina of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering felt “proud” to be among those who attended the event and liked that Schwarzenegger didn’t seem to be overly partisan.

“It’s really refreshing to see and to hear from someone who tries to listen to the other side,” she said. “I really appreciated it, especially considering now that everyone’s so polarized.”

Junior Kenleonard Oparaji of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism said that, while he doesn’t necessarily agree with Schwarzenegger’s views, he is happy the former governor came out. “He’s a very popular figure, and I like what he does in entertainment and the fact that he was governor of California. He seems like a great person.”

Sophomore Maxwell Nguyen of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences said he admires Schwarzenegger’s diverse achievements.

“He was governor when I was born in 2006, but only until 2011, so I didn’t grow up with him in office,” Nguyen said. “But he’s an actor, is in politics, works in climate advocacy. … I just think he’s really inspiring.”

For USC Marshall sophomore Nicole Amer, her attendance had more to do with movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger of The Terminator and Total Recall fame than the political figure he later became.

“Quite honestly, I just wanted to see Arnold,” Amer said before the start of the event. “I’m a big fan of his work and watched all the Terminator movies with my dad. Having the opportunity to see him in person is just like a dream come true for me.”