WGRAC and YDSA Encourage Students to Vote

RAKAN ALZAGHA ’22
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
July 4, 1776, is the day this country was founded and declared sovereign from the oppressive nature of its former rulers. The Founding Fathers congregated and debated the fate of this very nation and introduced the document that guides this country until this very day. This document, as you all may know, is the Declaration of Independence. A declaration at that time, which provided rights and opportunity to wealthy white men, while leaving the fate of African-Americans, Native Americans, Immigrants, and Women, to the discretion of individualized state laws, especially when it came to suffrage. 
August 18, 1920, after over 140 years of when Abigail Adams wrote to her husband to “remember the ladies,” white women were given the right to vote. June 2, 1924, the natives of this land, the ones who were robbed of their way of life, received citizenship and the right to vote, if and only if, they assimilated. August 6, 1965, The Voting Rights Act was implemented and required all states to abide by the federal demand to abolish any voting requirements that would restrict American citizens from engaging in this countries civic process. Through this act, the arduous and grueling efforts that lasted hundreds of years by African and Native Americans, Women, and minorities of every single background paid off. 
Revolutionaries in the suffrage movement such as Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony, and John Elk made it possible for citizens of every background to vote. And now in our current political climate, it is more important than ever not to overlook their sacrifices, and honor what they have done for this country by doing our part and electing individuals that will serve our needs on the community, state, and federal levels. 
To promote the idea of voting, WGRAC, and YDSA, as well as the Political Science, Public Policy and Law, Human Rights, American Studies, and the Language and Culture Departments are all coming together for an event on Monday, October 9th from 7:30-9 pm. Claire Pritchard and Jaymie Bianci are the two lead organizers that have been working to organize this event for the Trinity Community. It will be hosted at the Underground Coffeehouse where students will receive the opportunity to drink coffee and eat donuts (paid for by the contributions of the sponsors), listen to political activists, look at politically themed art, and listen to personal stories by students that relate to why voting is crucial, especially for young individuals. 
They aim to get students more excited about voting, and register them to vote, through multiple activities and spark the conversation and idea that elections have an immense impact on not only the primaries and Congress but also on our personal lives.
Through the efforts of Claire Pritchard, Jaymie Bianci, and everyone involved in this project, they hope to see a higher voting turnout from everyone, but specifically, they expect that every capable Trinity student is registered and ready to vote for officials that will serve their needs and concerns as citizens of the United States. 
Don’t fall into the idea that your vote doesn’t matter; voting is the bare minimum that we as citizens can do to ensure that the government doesn’t infringe on our civil rights. To the student body and faculty, we ask you to register, request those absentee ballots, and vote for who you believe will commit to systematic change in a country that desperately needs it. 
For any questions or concerns about the voting process, www.vote.org is a great resource to utilize that anyone can register to vote on, check polling places, and request an absentee ballot.