Vol 109 | Issue 2 | Oct. 1, 2020 | San Antonio, Texas
RATTLING ADVOCACY ACROSS CAMPUS Student organizations lead voter registration efforts despite pandemic obstacles MONTSERRAT GARCIA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Efforts to increase voter participation are ever-present each year. However, the message during this election year is that the stakes are higher than ever before and that it is up to the voters to fight for a better tomorrow. University students are continuing to push for voter participation despite the obstacles the pandemic has presented for voter registration efforts. St. Mary’s has a mission to “educate for adaptation and change,” so it is no revelation that its students are at the frontline when it comes to activism. Prior to COVID-19, St. Mary’s would host events aiming to register as many of their students to vote as possible. While the ongoing pandemic has had a severe impact on in-person events, it hasn’t stopped St. Mary’s organizations and students from championing the importance of voting. Arturo Canchola, junior political science major and social media chair and events coordinator for St. Mary’s Voto Latino, said Voto Latino has made some
adjustments to continue operating during the pandemic, and informing eligible voters about the voting process. “St. Mary’s Voto Latino has successf u l ly transitioned to the online space and developed new ways of reaching students -particularly through social m e d i a ,”
Canchola said. As the social media chair, Canchola says he has been working
closely with the national chapter of Voto Latino to determine the best practices in safely contacting and encouraging eligible voters to register and registered voters to vote. The organization’s mission is to both foster non-partisan dialogue within the St. Mary’s community and encourage more people to actively participate in local, state, and nationwide politics. They have accomplished the latter with events like phone banks, social media campaigns, and Netflix watch parties followed by discussions. Continuing to recruit as many students as they can Canchola said the chapter will keep formulating more initiatives and outreach events to provide accessible information for the St. Mary’s community throughout the semester, furthering the mission of Voto Latino.
Another approach sophomore risk management major Zane Smith took to help with the upcoming election was to work directly with the candidate campaigns. Smith has been a volunteer for Texas Students for Joe Biden’s and Lulu Seikaly’s campaign spreading awareness on the importance of voting not only within the St.Mary’s community, but on a statewide level. “[The pandemic] has definitely permanently changed how politicians organize…But it has also provided a great opportunity for candidates to give back to their community while campaigning,” Smith said. Smith added that working as a helper for the social media page for Texas Students for Biden, he and his peers have reached over six thousand followers across social media platforms, continuing to engage thousands of other youth with online content. Smith will carry on with having meaningful conversations with students on how to register to vote and the direct impact that public policies and politics have on their lives. Omar Herrera-Miramontes, sophomore political science major, is a member of the Student Government Association, CONTINUED ON PG. 2
Graphic by Demi Bestor
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