150 DePaulia
The
Volume #105 | Issue #7 | Oct. 19, 2020 | depauliaonline.com
VOTERS
DePaul Votes works to register community By Nadia Hernandez & Cailey Gleeson Asst. News Editor & News Editor
DePaul Votes has successfully guided over 150 students to either register to vote or fill out a mail in ballots. “In this really important election year, we know that every DePaul student will want to vote. But we want to make sure that they have what they need to actually cast that ballot,” said education professor Nina Diamond. “If we can remove obstacles to DePaul students registering to vote and requesting a mail in ballot, then that’s what we need to do whatever it takes.” DePaul Votes trained five students to become Voter Registration Geniuses “VRGs” that will personally assist students in the registerating or requesting process. “We have to have these voter registration geniuses trained to help students register and request mail in ballots in many states. It’s taking students step by step through the process, and making sure that they get it done, and students generally welcome that,” Diamond said. One of the VRGS, junior Eddie Olewinski said he joined the program to encourage his peers to vote. “Not voting is giving up your voice,” Olewinski said. DePaul Votes has dropped into undergraduate classes via zoom to talk with the class about voting. “Dr. Diamond, and I, along with another professor, Dr. Leah Bryant has been also going into these dropping into zoom class sessions, letting students know about the project. We’re here to help you get registered and get a mail in the ballot, no matter what state you’re from, we have a genius who’s going to be an expert, and we’ll be able to find out the answers for you,” said professor Marie Donovan. VRGs get back to students within 48 hours once they fill out the google form on what the student needs help with. Diamond compared the disparity of voting rates between students who want to vote vs. when they’re registered. “We know that maybe 45 to 48 percent of college students actually cast a ballot in a general election. We know that it’s not because they’re not interested, it’s because in many instances, they’re not registered to vote. So once they’re registered, the proportion goes to 70 or so percent.
So that’s a huge difference,” Diamond said. Olewinski said his participation in the program has emphasized the barriers that voters experience — such as the law implemented by 36 states that require voters to provide a form of identification to vote. “This affects low-income voters, people of color, young people and individuals who have disabilities who may have trouble obtaining such information because of income, traveling distance or intimidated by barriers,” Olewinski said. “It is astonishing to think you can vote using a gun license but not a student ID in Texas.” Donovan reflects on how DePaul Votes upholds the Vincentian message. “At DePaul, we care about the individual. I think that’s part of why the project resonated with so many faculty, staff, and students,” Donovan said. “Let me work with you, as you. It’s a very informative, and very scaffolded kind of process that ensures by the end of it, not only will the student be able to become a registered voter, but equally importantly, now understands all this is how you do this.” DePaul Votes restructured their registering process despite Covid-19 limiting in person interaction. “We had a plan, and it all went to hell because Covid-19 made a lot of the things that we had planned impossible. But we said ‘there’s another way to do this’. We’re going to figure out what that way is and that’s how we ended up doing what we’re doing,” Diamond said. Registering to vote may seem difficult but DePaul Votes tries to reassure that the process can be easy according to Donovan. “Some people have said to us ‘I’m feeling you know, just so anxious right now’ is what one woman said to me, but having a genius in her life made all the difference,” Donovan
“Not voting is giving up your voice,” DePaul Votes VRG
See VOTING, page 3
Leftists look for leadership
Five months after George Floyd
Many progressives are hesitant to vote blue as Democrats court conservative voters.
We revisted the spot in Minneapolis where Floyd was killed, igniting months of prostests.
— page 8
Eddie Olewinski
— pages 14-15
Max on the mend Max Strus recounts his experience in the NBA and recovering from a torn ACL.
— page 25