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The October video message from �ڹϳ����� President Rick Bailey comes straight from the heart of campus – the walkway between Taylor Hall and the Stevenson Union. The first of two topics this month is all about taking part in democracy, regardless of your political affiliation or beliefs. President Bailey recently co-moderated the southern Oregon gubernatorial debate, and he urges all viewers to take civic responsibility and civic engagement seriously. “We really think it’s important to be participants in our democracy, and that’s the message to all of you,” he says. The 2026 midterm general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the registration deadline in Oregon is Oct. 13. And while the “Support �ڹϳ�����” yard signs popping up all over the Rogue Valley are vital, the president says there are messages of a more political nature that are also important to consider and understand. “It’s a time for you to make your voice heard, so we ask you to be a participant in our democracy,” he says. The second topic from President Bailey’s October video is �ڹϳ�����’s fast-approaching homecoming weekend, Oct. 21 through Oct. 24, and the weekend’s importance to the university’s 40,000 alumni. The president connects with alumni at Raider Rendezvous events at various cities in Oregon and around the country each year, and many �ڹϳ����� graduates return to campus each year for homecoming. “It’s a reminder of all the great work they’re doing, all around the world,” he says. “And it’s also a reminder of why we’re here.”