Seton Hall Students Win NJ Ballot Bowl for Civic Engagement
Friday, November 6, 2020
A core mission of the Department of State is promoting civic engagement through voting, particularly among young people. The department reported that while every election is significant, COVID-19 challenged schools to find creative ways to get potential voters registered and engaged online.
"If any group knows how to use the internet to accomplish its goals it is the generation of current college students," said Secretary of State Tahesha Way.
Seton Hall, with the support of the Student Government Association, partnered with Turbo Vote and Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that helps people to register to vote, set-up voting reminders for home districts, and requesting an absentee ballot if needed.
The Division of Student Services in partnership with campus partners from across campus, coordinated efforts through establishing a Civic Engagement working group and sharing campus and national resources to support student and departmental programming.
Get out the vote efforts through the Division of Student Services, its Office of Student Engagement and campus partners included National Voter Education Week initiatives, starting Oct. 5. These included information sessions and campus-wide planning meetings involving CCRE, Campus Ministry, Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute, the Black Caucus, SGA and numerous student organizations. Organizers provided resources, graphic standards, QR codes for voter registration and education efforts, weekly tips on voter education and engagement through @HallStudents, meditations, entertainment, educational resources, virtual panels and election-focused conversations. There were numerous opportunities for people to engage with each other respectfully and celebrate this vital contribution to democracy as global citizens and servant leaders.
Two student leaders involved in these efforts applauded the commitment of their fellow students.
"Ensuring the college students are engaged in politics on both a national, and a local level is important. For many students, college is the first time away from the relative safety of home. There's often this idea that college radicalizes you and changes your beliefs in a way and I think that that's true. You're exposed to new thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. We all have a point in life where we really start to examine the political beliefs of our parents and decide whether we agree with them and for many that starts in college. We all have a voice and are fortunate enough to be able to use it. We're fighting for our future and it's essential that we continue to educate ourselves and inspire change!" explained Chase Cohen, Diplomacy Senator and Village Relations Chair for the Student Government Association.
"As an institution of higher education, it is our duty to guide students in their search for knowledge and growth. Election season, although stressful, is a great way to encourage students to be mindful of both the soft skills they have learned and intellectual conversations they have had during their time at college. As Chase said, college students are challenged to think differently and be exposed to new perspectives and ideas they never had an opportunity to see before – while this can be an adjustment, ultimately it helps students grow. The goal of the various programs of this election was to introduce students to the United States election system, and to continue to ask students how they can apply the lessons from the Seton Hall community to make the country the values they have cultivated," said Emma K. Murphy, Student Engagement Coordinator for the Office of Student Engagement.
Among post-election events on Saturday, Nov. 7, is a virtual Student Leadership Conference, IMPACT, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., being hosted by the Division of Student Services and focusing on the theme of Inclusive Leadership. This year's conference is meant to inspire action among students and encourage them to think critically about how they will seek to be servant leaders and global citizens. This unique half-day, virtual conference experience will showcase several diverse speakers that will share their stories on inclusive leadership and inspire attendees to take action in this TED-Talk—styled event. This year we have designed an intense, exhilarating, and influential conference curriculum just for you! Stay connected and follow us on social media @hallstudents and using the hashtag #SHULeads. Register now by clicking here.
Categories: Campus Life
