By Maddie King
Participating in democracy is a basic, but sometimes difficult part of being an American citizen. Especially in today’s society, at every turn it seems like we’re getting different information that confuses us and makes it difficult to discern what is true and what is fake.
Young voters are especially getting the brunt of this confusing news. But it is important for young people to exercise their rights as American citizens, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by voting.
“Our right to vote is one of the most significant rights we have as Americans. Countless people throughout our history fought to ensure that all Americans had access to the ballot,” said Kenan Boland, assistant professor of government.
“As a professor of government, it is important to teach content, but it is equally important to encourage students to take their civil duties seriously,”
Civic duty is heard frequently by students, especially close to the election. Many students have probably heard it many times and are tired of getting told they should go vote because it is their civic duty. But it is important because it allows for student’s voices and opinions to be heard and gives them an opportunity to enact real change.
Dr. Dave Claborn, professor of government said that our constitutional democratic republic needs each younger generation to work within the procedures we have to help steer our nation in directions differently than we would’ve gone without them there.
“Older folks may grumble. But the direction chosen won’t embody the American people without voters in the teens and twenties. It’s the way we’ll legitimize policies, institutions, and officials in the US.”
But it can sometimes be hard for college students to go vote. Students need to be registered in the county in which they will vote, so for many HPU students, voting was not going to be a reality.
So, after learning about the voting process in the U.S. and how important it is for young people to vote, students in Dr. Claborn’s American Political Culture class set out to run a voter registration drive as part of their experience for the class. Their objective was to get HPU students more involved in the political process and to provide an easy way for them to register without too much hassle.
Their goal was to get 200 students on campus registered to vote. This is roughly a quarter of the campus’ population, so it seemed like an impossible goal for them to reach, but they were determined to effect change on the HPU campus.
So after two weeks of preparation and planning they started their drive the last week of September. The drive ran from Monday, Sept. 23, to Thursday, Sept. 26. They had a booth outside of the Mabee Center and were set up every day of the drive for two hours.
On the last day of the drive they reached their goal and got 200 students registered to vote.
This impossible task was suddenly a big success and the students were so excited to have accomplished such an important goal.
Boland said that she was thrilled at how successful the students were in this registration drive.
“Of course the number of students registered is impressive, but so is the effort these students invested in this process,” said Boland. “They worked out all the details, assigned roles, and made it happen. The whole thing makes my professor heart happy! I can teach about the importance of civic responsibility, but to see students go out and put it into practice is even more exciting. Hard things are possible with perseverance and teamwork.”
Dr. Claborn was equally impressed with his students’ accomplishment.
“I’m so proud of students who could’ve stayed safe, gone through the motions of a usual experience and still made their usual A. But who chose to let their imaginations take the problem and turn it over and over until it was resolved. It gives me hope about our future,” he said.
The students not only got an A from their impressive efforts but also got the satisfaction of enacting change on the HPU campus and a deeper understanding of their civic duty.
Adrielle Sloan, junior strategic communication and Newman Honors Academy major from Blue Ridge, said, “Organizing and executing this voter registration drive was a valuable experience for our American Political Culture class. It deepened our understanding of civic engagement and the vital role it plays in our democracy. By facilitating the registration of 200 individuals, we not only contributed to their political participation but also reinforced the importance of collective action in shaping our political landscape. I am proud of what we accomplished together and the meaningful impact we made.”
Staff writer, Maddie King