The Beta Epsilon chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the Alpha Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. brought students together with their ‘Be the Change’ voter’s awareness event on Oct.7.
The event was held on the lawn in front of the Greensboro Four Monument and hosted 11 panelists, each representing their respective organizations. Each panelist answered questions from the audience and spoke on the importance of students getting out and voting.
While many students plan to go out and vote, many forget just how much effort the N.C. A&T community has been working toward easy voting accessibility and information for students.
Students like Kyla Holton, a senior pre-law student and member of the Alpha Phi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., understand the importance of having a polling site on campus.
“Last year, we received a notification that our polling site was going to be taken away from our campus, which is a big deal because we have a lot of underclassmen here and people that don’t drive,” said Holton.
Another focus of the panel was the issue of state governments preventing voters from having easy access to the polls. Those groups include specific ethnic groups, financial classes, and protected communities like elders or those with severe health conditions.
Tiffany Seawright is the Director of Leadership Engagement at A&T and is a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. member and she highlighted how lawmakers have been discriminatory towards these specific groups.
“They have even removed [the rule] where you can pass out stuff in the line. You really don’t even have to read through the lines anymore because the different things they are doing are very blatant,” Seawright said. “If you see a law that comes down the pipeline, just ask yourself ‘Who would this affect?”
Young voters had the lowest voter turnout among the four major age brackets at 60% in the 2020 election. In a country with a future primarily determined by its youth, voters in the same age bracket as college students and recent graduates were not showing up.
“As HBCU students we are always put last, put on the back burner, and always have fewer resources. We have a polling site right here now, and it’s on us to use it,” senior political science student Kylie Rice said.
Rice, who serves as the 2024-25 Student Body President and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, knows firsthand how hard A&T has fought to keep their polling site on campus.
“As much as we worked hard to have this polling site and as much as we fought for it, they can take it away in a second if our numbers don’t look good,” Rice said. “I would encourage you all to vote here, vote early, and make sure that you’re informed on what’s on the ballot.”
Along with voter awareness, the event was also used to help gather resources for victims of Hurricane Helene through student donations of water, toiletries, clothes, and anything else that could help aid them in their fight for survival.
“As Hurricane Milton intensifies, our hearts go out to the victims and families in its path. Now is the time for the A&T community to unite and take action,” said senior supply chain management student Savion Meeks.
Meeks, who is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., was one of the panelists and the organizer of the event.
The early voting period begins in North Carolina on October 17, 2024, with several polling locations being available in Guilford County, including A&T’s location in the Academic Classroom Building.
