Campus Gears Up for Election Day

In the days leading up to 2018 midterm election, there is one seemingly universal message throughout the nation: Get out and vote.

Celebrities voice their support of political candidates and urge their fans to exercise their rights. Social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat have been active in reminding users to get to the polls. On the day of the election, Google has even changed its iconic homepage to say “Go Vote”.

With all the buzz surrounding the midterm election, Columbia College’s campus is not immune to the excitement. While encouragement from celebrities and social media is great, student’s had other influences to vote. For Rita Dennim, 21, the prospect of change is what motivated her to get to the polls for this election.

“Voting is not just a civic duty, “ says Dennim, “It’s a time of change, or potential change. Things could happen.” This hopeful sentiment is one echoed by another Columbia student, Audio Engineering major, Becca Schneider.

Though Schneider, 22, admits sheepishly that she doesn’t know a lot about politics and has some research to do before she hits the polls, she is no less determined to vote, saying that the midterm election is an opportunity “to change what we have already, to make a better government.”

For Russian international student Mary Filatova, 18, though unable to vote, there persists a sense of value in the process. “I feel like it’s very important, because people get a chance to really choose and vote for who they want,” says Filatova. Despite being unable to participate in the election, Filatova says she would like to someday.

Much like Columbia’s campus, participation is the goal for a potentially historic number of young voters. A Harvard poll released by the Institute of Politics predicted that a 40% of 18 to 29-year-olds will vote in this upcoming election. That's almost twice the number of the last midterm’s youth turnout.

This optimistic forecast is evident right here at Columbia, where students like Dennim are both eager to see change and know they had a hand in it. “I’m motivated because it feels like I'm trying in some sense,” Dennim explained. “Even though I'm just one small vote it feels good to be able to contribute.”