• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Chloe Gong could publish her grocery list and I’d pay $20 for it (Books Before Boys review)
      Chloe Gong could publish her grocery list and I’d pay $20 for it (Books Before Boys review)
    • RIP to Wanda, the male betta fish (Books Before Boys review)
      RIP to Wanda, the male betta fish (Books Before Boys review)
    • When talking to ghosts only worsens your existential dread (Books Before Boys review)
      When talking to ghosts only worsens your existential dread (Books Before Boys review)
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Jodi Wei Features, News and FeaturesOctober 20, 2016

Student political organizations boost community involvement before election

Wellesley Students for Hillary participate in phone banking. | Photo by Alice Pan '20.

For the upcoming presidential election, students have sought out both volunteer opportunities to campaign for a party and chances to hear politicians speak. With organizations such as Wellesley Students for Hillary, the Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness (CPLA), Wellesley College Democrats and Wellesley College Republicans on campus, opportunities are abundant, allowing more students to be informed and let their voices be heard.

Numerous organizations on campus, both politically-affiliated and not, actively encouraged students to participate in Election Day by holding voter registration events. Hosted by CPLA, Harambee House, PanAsian Council, Korean Students Association, Wellesley Democrats and others, these events aimed to get Wellesley students, most of whom are of voting age, to the booths.

Another way students have been getting involved is through canvassing with Wellesley Students for Hillary, a club dedicated to helping elect Hillary Clinton ’69 as President of the United States. While some may see canvassing as an unglamorous job, groups of Wellesley students trek out to New Hampshire and around Massachusetts to encourage citizens to visit their local voting booths on Nov. 8 and perform their civic duty of voting.

Wellesley Students for Hillary organizes bi-weekly phonebanking events, works with the Wellesley Town Democratic Committee to bring students to canvassing events on Saturdays and Sundays and attends rallies with well-known speakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders. Canvassing events with speakers draw bigger crowds of Wellesley students; more than 50 students made the hour-long commute to Nashua, New Hampshire to hear Sen. Elizabeth Warren speak and to canvass for as much as five hours.

The work being done every weekend is valuable; in fact, according to the American Political Science Association, canvassing has been shown to increase voter turnout by 8.7 percent, which may or may not decide the outcome of an election.

Another way to be politically involved at Wellesley is to attend debate-watching parties, something akin to the Super Bowl. On Sept 25, the first debate was livestreamed from multiple locations across campus — residence halls, Clapp Library and individual dorm rooms — and current Wellesley students watched as Clinton took the stage in a stately red suit as the first female presidential candidate in U.S. history.

The debate-watching parties were characterized by cheers and jeers, a common sight across campus despite the multitude of debate-watching options, which happens simply because there is not enough space in any one event to accommodate all of the students who wish to view the debate.

While some on-campus organizations are affiliated with a particular party, other groups identify as non-partisan. One such organization is the Committee for Political and Legislative Awareness (CPLA). The role of CPLA on Wellesley campus is strikingly different in between election and non-election years. In non-election years, CPLA hosts events to “create space for students to talk about how politics affect them and their fellow students,” said CPLA chair Zoe Iacovino ’17, whose goal as CPLA Chair is to create events in which “many voices can be heard and we can learn about each other and the politics of the world we live in.” In election years, CPLA is mainly involved in creating events to involve students in the election — debatewatching parties voter registration and more.

Other events, aside from debate viewings and election night events, include a collaboration with Slater International Center in the first week of November regarding the election and international students, as well as a Table Talk with the Community Action Network to discuss the experiences and views of people of color.

It is difficult for conservatives to advertise their stance as the political minority on campus. This cycle’s election has been especially polarizing, with many Americans unhappy with both candidates; a contingent of Clinton voters are reluctantly with her only because she is “not Trump.”

“It can be challenging at times to be in the political minority on Wellesley’s campus, but I have found that for the most part, my peers are interested in hearing my point of view — even if only to learn the reasoning behind conservative thought processes,” Lauren Keena ’17 said.

While the political process can be mundane to some, to others, it is a passion. “I have put my heart and soul into helping elect someone that is passionate and fighting for us everyday Americans,” Karen Su ’19, vice president of the Wellesley Students for Hillary said.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleAlumnae Achievement Award winners follow innovative paths to success
Next articleCell recycling in action: how autophagy won the Nobel Prize

You may also like

The Wellesley (COVID) 100

In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays

Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top