By Avery Boulware, Campus Carrier News Editor
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| COURTESY OF CECILY CROW |
Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of election season, a group of students are trying to put the Berry community at ease.
Vikings Out to Elect (VOTE) is a committee made up of several groups and organizations on campus whose goal is to provide student with every opportunity to be involved in the political atmosphere on campus and in their community.
Represented in VOTE are groups like the Berry College Republicans, Young Democrats, SGA, Politics and Law Society (PALS), campus media and the Bonner center. Advocacy groups like Black Student Alliance (BSA) and EMPOWER have also been extended invitations. Each group has done their own planning, but the power of VOTE lies in the variety of different organizations represented.
Cecily Crow, director of student activities, has helped all of these groups come together as the VOTE committee.
“We want to help educate students on how to be a more informed citizen and how to understand political process and resources, so that, after Berry, they have a better understanding no matter where they are,” Crow said.
In preparation for the upcoming elections, VOTE plans to organize a variety of events for students. “Rock the Vote” tables will be set up in Krannert lobby to make it as easy as possible for students to register. After fall break, there will also be more specific events discussing hot topics in the election, as well as debate viewing parties sponsored by College Republicans and Young Democrats.
“We just want to make sure people have what they need,” Crow said. “Ultimately it is the individual’s prerogative to choose whether or not to participate, but we want to help Berry students be informed voters.”
VOTE is not a new presence on campus. The group organizes events every time there is a presidential election. But this year, members want to continue informing and encouraging the political atmosphere at Berry long after the elections in November.
One of the active groups involved in VOTE is the Politics and Law Society, or PALS. They are the only non-partisain group on campus, and have seen significant rennovations under their new president, sophomore Momo Abdellatif.
“This year we are trying to revamp the program,” Abdellatif said. “We are meeting on a regular basis, sending out more emails, and planning more events. Especially with the election year and the VOTE committee we are really trying to make sure we can help students on campus, and be more involved and more intentional about this year’s election. It’s going to be a crazy one, and we want people to be informed.”
PALS meets once a week to discuss topics from a variety of angles. Last week, in light of Bryan Stephenson’s visit, they discussed the roles of police and incarceration. They have also discussed Clinton and Trump’s platforms in order to better understand what each candidate stands for.
PALS has partnered with VOTE to help students navigate this political season.
“I just think it’s really important for people to be informed,” Abdellatif said. “It’s not something people want to talk about all the time, especially in national politics. You don’t think it affects you, but it does.”