{"id":194972,"date":"2016-11-01T12:38:12","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T16:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=194972"},"modified":"2019-06-24T14:36:58","modified_gmt":"2019-06-24T18:36:58","slug":"among-university-students-political-engagement-takes-different-forms-194972","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/among-university-students-political-engagement-takes-different-forms-194972\/","title":{"rendered":"Among University students, political engagement takes different forms"},"content":{"rendered":"

There appears to be one category in which University of Rochester students are merely average\u2014that\u2019s when it comes to their political involvement. According to the <\/span>National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement<\/a><\/strong>, eligible University students had a 42 percent voter turnout rate in the 2012 presidential elections. This compares closely with an average 47 percent turnout at private research universities across the United States for the same year. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, the 2014 midterm elections elicited far less involvement, with a 13 percent student participation\u00a0rate as compared to 18 percent nationally. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for students to be politically engaged every year, because most University of Rochester students are of an age when they have only recently become eligible to vote and are forming their political opinions,\u201d says Glenn Cerosaletti, assistant dean of students and director of the Rochester Center for Community Leadership<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0\u201cTheir active participation in the democratic process is important for setting the stage for a lifetime of civic involvement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Several University students have shared stories about their experiences with the political system and why they think it\u2019s important to be politically engaged. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Alexis
Alexis Wallace \u201918. (University photo \/ Dani Douglass)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alexis Wallace \u201918
\n<\/b>Hometown: Fort Drum,\u00a0NY
\nMajors: Russian and political science<\/p>\n

Growing up, Alexis Wallace never remained in one location for very long. Both her parents are family practice physicians in the military. She was born in the state of Georgia, and has lived in Germany, Washington state, Texas, and New York. Wallace says that because she was never truly connected to one place, she was constantly exposed to different political perspectives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though Wallace now serves as the president of the College Democrats, she has never stepped into a polling center. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents always voted absentee because we moved around so much,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve never actually seen my parents go to vote.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Wallace works in the Rochester office of <\/span>Congresswoman Louise Slaughter<\/a><\/strong>, and is now considering registering to vote in Monroe County, as opposed to her current hometown. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a great experience to work for Congresswoman Slaughter–I wish I could cast my vote for her,\u201d Wallace says. \u201cBut then, my vote may matter more where my parents are. It\u2019s a very, very conservative area.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Scott
Scott Onestak \u201917. (University photo \/ Dani Douglass)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scott Onestak \u201917
\n<\/b>Hometown: New Wilmington,\u00a0PA
\nMajors: Economics and data science<\/p>\n

Like the majority of undergraduates, Scott Onestak has never voted in a presidential election. But he has taken every opportunity to participate in the political process. <\/span><\/p>\n

Each year at Rochester, he has diligently filled out his absentee voter ballot. This past spring, he was home during the presidential primaries and was able to place his vote at his local polling center.<\/span><\/p>\n

Onestak is the president of the College Republicans<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span>For the first time in its history, the group chose not to endorse the party’s nominee, Donald Trump. Onestak says the nature of this election has brought up important conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dichotomy is quite stark, seeing that we have the two most unliked candidates ever,\u201d he says. \u201cI think the interesting thing is going to be how many people don\u2019t vote for one of the major parties.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Onestak has been exposed to conflicting political viewpoints since he was young\u2014his family is split along \u00a0party lines. His father is a Republican and his mother is a Democrat. But studying diverse topics and getting involved at the University has helped refine his political perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think college makes you look more critically at issues, but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re going to move one way or another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Riva Yeo \u201918
\n<\/b>Hometown: Chino Hills, CA
\nMajors: Economics and political science<\/p>\n

One issue that drives Riva Yeo\u2019s political activism is feminism.<\/span><\/p>\n

When she began studying at the University, she got involved in College Feminists<\/a><\/strong>. She says it has given her an entirely different perspective on why voting is important.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs students, we\u2019re told \u2018you need to vote because it\u2019s your right and you need to exercise it,\u2019 but there are so many more dimensions that come into play in politics,\u201d Yeo says. <\/span><\/p>\n

Feminism was important to Yeo even before beginning at the University. When Yeo\u2019s mother was in her late 20s, she immigrated to the United States from China. She’s faced challenges as an immigrant woman, and has been working hard to establish herself ever since. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWatching my mother has reinforced my commitment to advocating for feminist issues and for political engagement,\u201d Yeo says. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now, as a member of the <\/span>Committee for Political Engagement<\/a><\/strong>, she hopes to inspire other students to get involved with political issues. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTalking with people of different viewpoints and learning more about progressive causes like reproductive rights, economic freedoms, and the gender gap are all things that have really resonated with me,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that\u2019s what has shaped and solidified my desire to become active in the political process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Alphonse
Alphonse Mugisha \u201917. (University photo \/ Dani Douglass)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alphonse Mugisha \u201917
\n<\/b>Hometown: Syracuse, NY
\nMajor: Electrical and computer engineering<\/p>\n

Alphonse Mugisha immigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 11 years old. He was born in Burundi, a small, east African nation, but grew up in a refugee camp in Tanzania. After years of applying, his family was resettled in Syracuse, New York. He attended middle and high school in Syracuse, learning English along the way. Just under two years ago, he was finally able to apply for citizenship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though he has not yet voted, Mugisha has been politically aware for a number of years. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2008 I was in eighth grade, and I had only been in the U.S. for a year,\u201d Mugisha says. \u201cI just remember it was the first time a black person was running for president. When he won, it was really interesting to me that it was such a big deal.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Now, he\u2019s looking forward to being able to participate in the election as a voting citizen–especially in a year when the candidates represent such distinct political and personal perspectives. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s very important to go out and vote even if it may seem that it doesn\u2019t count,\u201d Mugisha says. \u201cYou\u2019re making your voice heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to a national study, Rochester students voted in the 2012 presidential election at a similar rate to the national average — at around 42 percent. This year, students share their students of how they have become engaged in what for most will be their first political contest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":682,"featured_media":195362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[8756,29502,12792,9046],"class_list":["post-194972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","tag-elections","tag-featured-post-side","tag-politics","tag-rochester-center-for-community-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAmong University students, political engagement takes different forms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/among-university-students-political-engagement-takes-different-forms-194972\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Among University students, political engagement takes different forms\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"According to a national study, Rochester students voted in the 2012 presidential election at a similar rate to the national average -- at around 42 percent. 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