By Leslie Moonshine
We all face a seismic political shift under the new administration. How are the Sierra College voters reacting? Well, our Voter Registration teams have seen a range of student reactions – some students are stoked for action, some express anguish, anger, sadness, and/or frustration, and some just choose to disengage. We meet students where they are and work to increase their civic engagement. And we try to bring a message of hope – that we all can do something to help in some way.
This term brought a change of location. After many years in the quad, we now set up in front of the library. Though no longer in the center of campus, we have not seen a significant dip in the number of students stopping by to participate in our surveys and chat.
Another change is our new AADC commitment of support for the Basic Needs Center on campus. It is a way for us to put our democratic values into action and serve the student community. In Spring of 2024 (the last term for which stats are available) 759 students received food help on campus. We have delivered two loads of food items so far and will continue to do so. Members bring items to AADC activities. (You can drop items off at Friday Coffee & Conversation or at our monthly meetings. Please, no cans. They are too heavy for us to transport from the parking garage to the center.)
Our weekly surveys continue to inform students on the issues and actions of the current administration. They lead us to engaging discussions on politically relevant topics. We challenge students to provide facts from reliable sources to back their views–not what they “saw on TikTok” or other social media! And we show them that even if we disagree, we can have meaningful conversations with one another. We continue to offer goodies such as mandarins, granola bars and candy. Oh, and the pocket Constitutions have been a big hit!
What are students’ priorities? How are they reacting to Trump actions and policies? To learn more, click the link below to see a review of the weekly surveys conducted.
Since the election, predictably, we have seen a drop both in the number of students registering to vote and volunteers joining us on campus. Are you interested in helping out, either regularly or occasionally? Please contact Robert Sherriff for Tuesdays [rcsherriff@gmail.com] or Gail Bartlow for Wednesdays [gbartlow@sbcglobal.net], or RSVP on mobilize. It’s a great opportunity to interact with the next generation of voters!
Click HERE to read the Surveys in Response to New Administration prepared by the Voter Registration Teams.