By Logan Monteleone
Business and Distribution Manager
In light of the upcoming presidential election, faculty and students are working together to organize events and facilitate conversations on campus surrounding the importance of political engagement.
Along with moderating the Presidential Debate watch party earlier this month, Deputy Director of the Starr Center Jaelon T. Moaney spoke at the Student Government Association’s meeting on National Voter Registration Day last Tuesday. In addition to offering weekly office hours at the Custom House as a resource for students, Moaney has recently expanded to the Center for Black Culture at the Intercultural Center, located in Room 102 in Minta Martin Hall.
Despite a political advocate’s many responsibilities and high amount of energy, Moaney finds that his work as an agent of change affords many fulfilling experiences. Moaney is passionate about impacting lives through working against the barriers created by systemic oppression and encourages students “to lean into authentic advocacy for matters that resonate.”
“Let what inspires you be your guiding light, and activate with responsibility. Movements transcend electoral cycles and so should your passions,” Moaney said.
Moaney reassures students who may struggle with the balance between personal life and political involvement that action can start slowly, and that change begins with deliberation.
“To effectuate change without mindfulness is both disingenuous and undermining,” he said. “Momentum is ultimately built by inflection points of their own, and the aggregate need not rest on any singular set of shoulders.”
According to Moaney, the engagement students demonstrated at the Presidential Debate watch party was inspiring.
“I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude for all who joined us,” he said. “Your energy was infectious. Your resolve was inspiring. Your questions were unrelenting. Your focus was the epitome of hope.”
Moaney encourages attendance for the Vice Presidential Debate viewing party on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 1 in the Egg jointly hosted by the WC political science department and Holstein Program in Ethics.
Political Science Department Chair and Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs Dr. Christine Wade said that the Presidential Debate party effectively demonstrated students’ interest in political events on campus.
“The turnout was amazing. It’s been several years since we’ve done these types of events, and it was wonderful to see how many engaged students we have on campus. At a time when political rhetoric is so deeply polarizing, I think it’s especially important that we share these spaces together,” Dr. Wade said. “Politicians may benefit from division, but we don’t.”
The Goldstein Program and Public Affairs assistant senior Joey Bonacci also commented on the debate watch party, noting its success as a measure of the need for more campus political events.
“I was very excited by how many people showed up. We were expecting a solid amount of more politically minded students, but it was really cool to see how many people wanted to be — at least at that level — involved in politics on campus,” he said.
Bonacci emphasizes the importance of following issues that are of individual interest as a gateway to entering broader political awareness.
“At some level, everything that you are doing has a political aspect. This is happening in the country you live in. This is happening in the society that you live in, and society functions from a government: that’s all politics,” Bonacci said.
He suggested following reputable news sources — such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times — on social media for regular exposure to political information.
“Learn about the world you live in. Be an engaged citizen,” Bonacci said.
According to the spring 2024 issue of WashColl Magazine, seniors Stephen Hook and Zach Affeldt initiated PoliTalks, a club that encourages bipartisan conversation and political education on campus, during the fall 2023 semester.
“[PoliTalks] came from a recognition, too, of a lack of student-led initiatives on campus for political discourse, which is something that our school has had precedent with the last 200 years,” Affeldt said.
PoliTalks recently started a monthly newsletter is distributed via email. The most recent newsletter includes summaries of current events, voter education resources, and links to news articles.
While the SGA provides the club’s funding, Hook said that more institutional commitment to political education would improve the reach of PoliTalks, as well as its access to speakers.
“Political events are exciting and engaging, and students really like them,” Hook said. “But they’re also really important for the health of our liberal arts education and something that we hope to see more resources allocated to.”
Since they both graduate in the spring, Hook and Affeldt encourage any students interested in becoming involved with PoliTalks leadership to get in touch via email.
A Student Affairs-led internship titled WACVOTES also provides students with an opportunity to lead community conversations about political issues.
According to senior Jordan Hyde, WACVOTES tasks itself with “getting [the] campus energized about the upcoming election, but also providing the needed resources to generate widespread voter participation.”
In addition to resisting political apathy amongst students, WACVOTES works to help provide education on the logistics of casting a vote.
“We have found that the majority of students…are unsure of whether they are voting via mail-ballot, or in person; and if in person, they are unsure of where their polling place is located,” Hyde said. “Part of our job is trying to provide easily accessible resources in order to bridge this gap.”
While Dr. Wade said that “every vote really does count,” she emphasizes that civic engagement and political involvement extend beyond election participation.
“The real work happens every day in our communities. It’s showing up when people need you. It’s speaking up in the face of injustice. It’s giving your time and energy to causes that matter to you,” she said. “So absolutely vote, but then get to work.”
In terms of upcoming events, Dr. Melissa Deckman will be coming to campus on Oct. 23 to discuss her new book, “The Politics of Gen Z: How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy.” There will also be a watch party on the night of the election results.
Photo courtesy of Washington College’s Political Science department.
Photo Caption: Many students attended the Presidential Debate watch party, which offered humorous Bingo boards participants could follow along with.