As it draws closer, the 2020 presidential election has become an increasingly prevalent topic of discussion on campus, with many student groups hosting election-related events. Students shared the various ways they try to engage with both the upcoming election and politics at large.
Sophomore Eric Armstrong, who identifies as a Republican, believes that though many people focus more on national politics, local politics often have a more immediate and concrete impact on people’s daily lives.
“For example, Maryland is predominantly a Democratic state, and most of the people in the state vote blue. But the governor, Larry Hogan, is a Republican,” he said. “People here know that he has impacted their lives in great ways. It’s not always this grand fight against one party; it’s often about inspiring people doing great work.”
Co-President of College Democrats at Hopkins (Hopkins Dems) Sylvana Schaffer stated that she sees engaging young people as an important component of her work in the organization.
“We are basically trying to do a lot of things that mobilize many young people at this school who might not be the most politically active,” Schaffer said. “We mobilize that energy and register people to vote, trying to make sure they know what’s going on, to expand the group.”
Co-President Rachel Fortinsky of College Republicans explained what her group is doing in order to get more students involved in politics in an email to The News-Letter.
“We always look to engage with students of diverse mindsets, views and backgrounds. Especially with the upcoming elections, we are focusing on igniting student interest in policy (regardless of their political affiliation) and exposing them to key issues. We are working with College Dems, the [SNF] Agora Institute, IDEAL and others to coordinate joint events and we’re excited to announce these events in the upcoming weeks,” she wrote.
President of Hopkins Feminists and Co-President of the Political Science Steering Committee (PSSC) Renee Robinson explained that she engages with politics by connecting political science faculty to undergraduates majoring in the field.
She is helping to host a collaborative event between the two groups that will explore the topic of feminism in politics, called “Feminism and Fizz,” and hopes the event will provide a relaxed environment to interact about the topic.
“We will be talking about policies and discussing topics from women to institutions,” she said.
Ryan Ebrahimy, vice-president of Hopkins Democrats, works to bring in speakers who are connected to political causes and social movements. He hopes to facilitate conversations between students at Hopkins and change-makers by providing a platform for engagement that students may not have had access to otherwise.
Ebrahimy, who is on the pre-med track, explained his personal interest in politics, despite not studying it in the classroom.
“I just love the whole nature of it. It’s very chaotic. So many people have different viewpoints. So many people run for different offices, and so many different battles happen on one stage. Therefore, trying to find your voice and your identity amongst all that can be challenging,” Ebrahimy said.
He also reflected on how he first became engaged politically, ultimately working for a candidate he supported in a California congressional campaign.
“The start was just the first time I voted,” Ebrahimy said. “I backed one candidate in my state called Dave Min. He didn’t end up winning the primary, but a year later after my freshman year at Hopkins, I came back to California and began working on Dave Min’s political campaign as an intern.”
Ebrahimy helped out with increasing the volunteer force, reaching out to communities, organizing events and fundraising.
Armstrong, who was a sophomore class senator for the Student Government Association (SGA) last year, stated that SGA’s civic engagement committee held debate watch parties, voter registration initiatives and other activities. He now serves as SGA’s Executive Treasurer.
“Honestly, for people who aren’t civically engaged, those public events show them the importance of civic engagement, and makes it easier to be involved in politics,” Armstrong said.
Many students expressed that while many people can be apathetic and feel disillusioned with the current state of political affairs, civic engagement should be considered highly important on both a personal and a social level.
A common concern that several students voiced is that Hopkins students tend to focus too much on their own academic work, to such an extent that politics becomes an afterthought.
Students such as Hopkins Democrat Leland Held believe that politics has a huge impact on everyday life.
“At least know what’s going on is really important,” Held said. “Look at Baltimore; the next mayor can really determine what happens in the city around us. And even on the presidential level, the funding that goes to cities can very much depend on the political party.”
For some students, being civically active helps them inform themselves on important issues going on in their communities and the country.
“It’s extremely important. A lot of people don’t vote because they are apathetic or just saying [officials are] all corrupt, [officials] are all the same, how would that actually affect my life,” Schaffer said. “And that’s just a terrible way of thinking because every single thing really does have an effect, especially at the local level. We really need everyone to vote. There are a lot of things that the government can do if you go to the ballet and express your preference.”
Ebrahimy concurred with Schaffer’s remarks.
“If you want to create any sort of change for the better, whether it is healthcare, immigration or anything else, politics is always at the core of the issue,“ he said. “Understanding politics is the root of every problem but also every advancement.”
Moreover, Ebrahimy asserts that being politically engaged can help to broaden one’s perspective.
“When you are so committed to one field or space — take pre-med for example — if all you do is studying pre-med and you don’t pay attention to other things, that might be a big success in your field, but it’s good to have awareness and consciousness that extends beyond your major,” he said.
Ebrahimy also spoke about his recent registration to become a Hopkins Votes ambassador. Hopkins Votes is an initiative that hosts voter registration drives in order to increase the accessibility of voting for students and community members.
As for students looking to get involved, Held expressed his belief that voting is the first step to becoming a more politically active member of one’s community.
“Vote. That is the first thing everyone can do as an American citizen. If you are politically active, just start by voting,” Held said. “You should also be politically informed, know what’s going on, even reading the headlines every day, to just see what’s going on in the world or the country. The next level is joining a political organization on campus, and then above that is actually joining a political club, working with politicians.”
Correction: A previous version of this article referred to Rachel Fortinsky as vice president of College Republicans. She is co-president.
The News-Letter regrets this error.
