Campus and city leaders gathered Thursday evening at MTSU for The People’s Table, a panel hosted by the Mu Zeta chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., to discuss social issues and civic engagement in the  Murfreesboro community. 

The discussion opened with Sidney Ware, the fraternity’s vice basileus, thanking everyone for joining in the discussion and emphasizing the importance of collaboration between students and community leaders to create meaningful change. 

The panelists, Shane McFarland, Murfreesboro Mayor, Jonathan Williamson, NAACP Nashville President and Robb McDaniel, Political Science Professor, shared their perspectives on leadership, community involvement and the role of young people in shaping the city’s future. 

Moderator Kaleb Hollings asked panelists for their opinion on what true civic engagement looked like and how it goes far beyond voting. 

“We have a system that works within the system,” Williamson said. “Whether that’s running for office, whether that’s putting up campaign signs for a candidate running for office, or donating to the community… Those are all civic engagement processes that anyone can be a part of it.” 

Williamson’s answers highlighted the panel’s broader message — that civic engagement isn’t limited to politics, but it’s rooted in everyday actions that help the community. 

McDaniel also mentioned the importance of tackling local problems through civic engagement in local politics rather than national politics. 

“One of the reasons to engage at the local level is, of course, because it’s a place you can do things and you can make an impact,” McDaniel said. “You never know when the local is going to have significance at the state, the national or even the international level.”

Social media was also at the heart of the discussion, as each panelist explained how their social media use plays a role in promoting civic engagement. 

McFarland was not entirely in favor of social media usage because of its negative impact on public discourse. Still, he acknowledged its influence as a necessary tool for communication and transparency in today’s political climate. 

“I choose to embrace it for what it is, you know,” McFarland said. “You just have to learn how to embrace it and use it to the benefit of how it can help your

community.” 

As the discussion came to a close, each speaker emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between MTSU students, city leaders and local organizations to build a stronger, more engaged Murfreesboro. 

Ware also echoed that message, saying that the goal of The People’s Table was to spark awareness and inspire leadership. 

“We wanted to be more involved in getting people to vote,” Ware said. “Since the mayor is local, we thought to bring someone like him to speak to people on how to get involved from a local standpoint.” 

Ware also emphasized the understanding of politics’ relevance on a local level rather than national, noting that real change often begins within everyone’s community. 

The fraternity plans to have an event for the midterm elections and another speaker  to talk next semester. 

“We serve the community and we believe that voting is a right,” Ware said. “This is going to be the start of something and we want to have more events like this.”