2008 Woodie Awards
Students must make voting a priority this fall
Fatoumata Soumaré
Issue date: 9/14/06 Section: Opinions
Last week I ran into someone I believe I was destined to meet. On Wednesday, while I was standing around the Information Desk at our Campus Center, I overheard a man asking where he could pick up voters registration that have been completed. The students on shift searched around the desk and finally checked with their supervisors and came back with the news that none had been turned in on that particular day or any prior to that specific date.
The individual who came seeking the voter's registrations looked very sad and I asked him about his reaction to this somewhat unsurprising news. He introduced himself as a strong supporter for Democratic governor candidate Deval Patrick and then explained that the specific day he showed up to pick up the registration was the last day to get in votes for the primary election. He talked to me about why he believed that Deval Patrick was the ideal candidate for governor because he understood the needs of the regular people of Massachusetts, including the students. He emphasized that the voice of young people like Smith students is really important but often they go unheard because we fail to educate ourselves about what is going on around us politically.
The day preceding this conversation, I got an email from a George M. Robinson, Ph.D., of the Smith College psychology department with more information and support for democratic candidate Deval Patrick. In his e-mail, Doctor Robinson mentions his support for candidate Patrick: "He's come to Northampton a couple of times and I had the chance to talk with him. I got a really good feeling about his honesty, directness, tactfulness, intelligence and energy. And I really agree with nearly all of his positions on issues critical to the state. . . . Personally, I think the man is worth me taking time from research to campaign for him."
If a college professor can take time from a busy schedule to campaign, then we students should be able to take a few seconds to fill out a voter registration card. The unfortunate truth is that too many of us don't take those few seconds ever. We think that politics has nothing to do with us, when in fact, it does. Politicians, for example, decide how much money to give to Pell grants, those important government funds that make places like Smith a reasonable option for less wealthy students. Politicians also pass laws like Title IX that make athletic opportunities available to women athletes here and across the country. As young voters, we are important to politicians, but if we do not begin to vote in larger numbers, we will see fewer and fewer pro student laws. Pell grants have already been cut and interest rates for student loans have been raised. Politicans need to pay more attention to our needs, but they won't unless we force them to.
I took the time to research Deval Patrick, and on education he claims to "see consistent excellence in every public school in the commonwealth, with smaller classes, a longer school day with after school enrichment programs and great professionals in front of the kids and in charge of the schools." Like most politicans, he focuses his platform on elementary education, and not college. This is not because he hates college students, but because parents of elementary school children are much more likely to vote than we are. If we want to college and universities to be at the top of politican's priority lists, we have to put them there. I will not tell you how to think or vote, but I am asking you to become active. Learn the facts, visit candidate websites and educate yourself, and then do not forget to vote in both the primaries and the November 7 elections. Do not wait for a chance conversation to get involved. You can get started today.
The individual who came seeking the voter's registrations looked very sad and I asked him about his reaction to this somewhat unsurprising news. He introduced himself as a strong supporter for Democratic governor candidate Deval Patrick and then explained that the specific day he showed up to pick up the registration was the last day to get in votes for the primary election. He talked to me about why he believed that Deval Patrick was the ideal candidate for governor because he understood the needs of the regular people of Massachusetts, including the students. He emphasized that the voice of young people like Smith students is really important but often they go unheard because we fail to educate ourselves about what is going on around us politically.
The day preceding this conversation, I got an email from a George M. Robinson, Ph.D., of the Smith College psychology department with more information and support for democratic candidate Deval Patrick. In his e-mail, Doctor Robinson mentions his support for candidate Patrick: "He's come to Northampton a couple of times and I had the chance to talk with him. I got a really good feeling about his honesty, directness, tactfulness, intelligence and energy. And I really agree with nearly all of his positions on issues critical to the state. . . . Personally, I think the man is worth me taking time from research to campaign for him."
If a college professor can take time from a busy schedule to campaign, then we students should be able to take a few seconds to fill out a voter registration card. The unfortunate truth is that too many of us don't take those few seconds ever. We think that politics has nothing to do with us, when in fact, it does. Politicians, for example, decide how much money to give to Pell grants, those important government funds that make places like Smith a reasonable option for less wealthy students. Politicians also pass laws like Title IX that make athletic opportunities available to women athletes here and across the country. As young voters, we are important to politicians, but if we do not begin to vote in larger numbers, we will see fewer and fewer pro student laws. Pell grants have already been cut and interest rates for student loans have been raised. Politicans need to pay more attention to our needs, but they won't unless we force them to.
I took the time to research Deval Patrick, and on education he claims to "see consistent excellence in every public school in the commonwealth, with smaller classes, a longer school day with after school enrichment programs and great professionals in front of the kids and in charge of the schools." Like most politicans, he focuses his platform on elementary education, and not college. This is not because he hates college students, but because parents of elementary school children are much more likely to vote than we are. If we want to college and universities to be at the top of politican's priority lists, we have to put them there. I will not tell you how to think or vote, but I am asking you to become active. Learn the facts, visit candidate websites and educate yourself, and then do not forget to vote in both the primaries and the November 7 elections. Do not wait for a chance conversation to get involved. You can get started today.
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