Call to Action – Advocating for What Matters to You

This past week, I had the opportunity to take a look at the Politics, Society, and Law Scholars 2nd Year Advocacy Forum. The Forum is an opportunity for 2nd year PSL scholars to present an in-depth look into an issue facing our society. These presentations provide these scholars with hands-on knowledge and experience in researching real-world solutions to real-world problems.

Furthermore, the forum offers these students a platform to issue a call to action for an issue or subject that is important to them and the world around them. Though this platform may not be as grandiose as a national debate stage, the ability to be able to voice your own opinion on an issue is still a powerful thing, regardless of the size of the audience.

The 2nd year scholars all presented great work and diligence in their presentations. From including the essential details of the issues they were discussing, to proposing solutions in a professional and mannered fashion, these presentations were extremely well put together.

One take away I found in this experience was that an issue does not have to be a hot-button, polarizing problem facing our world to be worthy of a call to action. Many of the issues I learned about were not the usual ones often portrayed in today’s media. Nevertheless, the issues were important and had impacts on the world around us, and it was quite frankly invaluably refreshing to learn about them.

The Problem with Congressional Apportionment

On the matter of balancing the representation in the House, the current system in place works just fine. Basing the number of representatives on the population of the state makes sense. It allows more populous states, whereby a larger majority of the country would be located, to have a voice that is proportionate to their size. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative, giving every state a voice in the House to some extent. The issue with the “fairness” of this process lies elsewhere.

Gerrymandering is one of this country’s biggest underlying issues. It affects each and every one of the United States’ citizens, and even worse, it affects their vote. 

Gerrymandering has been present in our system for some time now, with the first example of it occurring in 1788 when Patrick Henry and some colleagues attempted to shut James Madison out of the House of Representatives. This tactic was carried out by the redrawing of Virginia’s 5th District. Although ultimately unsuccessful, the very presence of this kind of manipulation represented the length some politicians were willing to go to in order to secure a representative in their corner. 

In today’s world, gerrymandering is very prevalent. Some illogical examples of the practice include Maryland’s 3rd District, Louisiana’s 2nd and 6th Districts, and Texas’ 2nd District. Each of these districts and plenty more throughout the nation are warped and disjointed in ways that either increase the number of a party’s representatives in the House or diminish the number of opposing representatives. 

In order to foster a fairer system, one simply has to look towards Pennsylvania, where the state’s supreme court had to redraw the congressional maps to allow for a fairer apportion of congressional votes. The solution is not to pass the buck to each state’s supreme court, but rather to an unbiased congregation to draw maps in ways that don’t favor partisan interests.

In short, the way the House of Representatives is decided is not the problem, but rather the unchecked rise of gerrymandering within the system. As to whether or not a method of drawing district maps without partisan bias will be adopted into our government, we shall see. The conversation is being had on the federal level, with the Supreme Court having heard two cases on gerrymandering earlier this year, pointing to the disdain the nation’s citizens may be adopting for the practice of gerrymandering.

Meet Kyle Madura, Second-Year PSLer!

Kyle Madura is a second-year Politics, Society, and Law Scholar, here at OSU. He is double majoring in Finance and Political Science. He was drawn into the program because of his interest in gaining a nuanced view of politics, and to balance out his dual interests in business and politics.

A Chicago native, Kyle initially came to Ohio State because of the opportunities the university offered him, as well as the overall feeling being on campus gave him. OSU offered many amenities that suited his interests, such as it’s proximity to the Ohio Statehouse, access to plenty of businesses for him to potentially intern for, and it was the perfect size for him.

Being in PSL has given Kyle plenty of time to learn skills and gain experience, opportunities, and friendship. He acknowledges that he’s met some of his best friends in PSL. He’s used these skills and his motivation to obtain a job with John Rogers, the representative for Ohio’s 60th House District.

In ten years, Kyle hopes to have his MBA and a career in either finance, management consulting, or politics.

Some advice he offers to first-years is simple: keep things in perspective and be proactive!

G.O.A.L.S.

In the coming years at OSU, I have plenty of goals I hope to achieve.

In terms of becoming aware of the world around me, I want to:

  • Encounter and learn about different perspectives on society and it’s ever-changing elements in order to have a nuanced view of the world and its ethics.

Some things I hope to study extensively in my original inquiry are:

  • The power of language, not in the sense of different native languages, but rather how the terms and tones we use can completely alter the way our words can be interpreted.
  • How to reach compromise more often in life, with a specific focus on how the ability to compromise, or lack thereof, has affected the political system in our own country.

I have a few priorities when it comes to what I want out of OSU during my time here, with two main ones being:

  • Knowledge. I want to further my education in ways I haven’t before.
  • Experience. Not just in terms of internships and job opportunities, but as well as experiences that are meaningful to me and help shape who I am.

Leadership has always been at the forefront of my life. I strive to be not just a leader, but a good leader, whenever possible. To continue building that essential life skill, I hope to join organizations like the Undergraduate Student Government, the Smith-Steeb Hall Executive Board, and the PSL Executive Board.

Social issues are always being emphasized in today’s modern world. They permeate our conciousness and often are the things that force us to contemplate what is wrong and right according to our moral compasses. Some are more prevalent and dire than others, yet all are equally detrimental to our way of life if left unresolved. As a student here, there is one that encompasses a slew of issues within our borders: the voting system. From the electoral college and it’s legitimacy, to voter supression, to the misinformed millions who cast their ballots each election, this is a tremendous threat to our democratic livelihood, which is why it is so important that we find a way to fix the issues associated with it.

These are just the goals I have set for myself as of today. I am very confident that as my time as a Buckeye goes on, I will develop plenty more goals, both long and short term.

 

About Me

Hello! My name is Patrick Bradford and I am a First-Year PSLer, here at The Ohio State University! I am double-majoring in Political Science and Journalism, in hopes of making a career that incorporates both into my work. At the moment, that career is still up in the air, but I am thoroughly exploring my options.

Some fun facts about me are that I love film and cinema, from the techniques that go into filmmaking to the movies themselves. My favorite movie has to be Empire Strikes Back. I also am an entrepreneur of sorts, having started a photography business with my best friend and we’ve had a pretty successful time with it, so far! Finally, travel is on the top of my bucket list. There are so many different places and cultures around the globe, and I hope to see as many as I can to gain a more nuanced view of the world around me.

I am looking forward to what my first year at OSU, and in PSL, brings, whether it is experience, wisdom, knowledge, or anything in between.

Go Bucks!

 

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]