The PSL scholars program has been an important and fundamental part of my freshman year at Ohio State. The second-year advocacy projects were really interesting to me, as I got to learn about a wide variety of topics. I enjoyed looking through these projects because it has given me inspiration for topics I can use for my project next year as well as given me ideas of how I can take steps to change my life to better society.

One of the projects I visited was about the impact of fast fashion on the environment. As a Fashion and Retail Studies minor, I find this topic interesting and relatable. In one of my classes I took this semester, we really focused on fast fashion and its impact on the environment, similarly to this project. I liked this project because it offered very simple ways that everyone can change their shopping habits to limit the impact of fast fashion on the environment. Some of the solutions that this project offered include shopping at secondhand stores and thrift stores instead of fast fashion companies such as Forever 21 and Zara. This is such a simple solution that will have little to no change on the consumer’s spending; however, it will have a huge impact on our environmental footprint if enough people change their habits. I thought this project was very insightful and did a great job offering easy solutions for consumers to change their shopping habits.

I also visited a project regarding financial literacy and underserved youth. I really enjoyed this project since I believe that being financially literate is very important. For as long as I can remember, my parents have been teaching me the proper ways to save money, budget my money, and have been teaching me smart ways to invest my money. I like this project because it talks about the importance of financial literacy, but also brings up the issue of how children in underserved communities are not given as much access or opportunity to learn these important skills. I thought that the club this project referenced is a very good way to be involved on campus and a great way to give back to the community. I liked that this project offered a way to help combat this issue that will let students like me be engaged on campus as well as off campus.

Furthermore, I visited a project about voter ignorance. This project was insightful for me because I have not always been the most politically aware person, but this project helped me understand different ways I can grow my knowledge of candidates. This project helped me understand the importance of being politically aware. It is mind blowing to see how many people, including myself at times, are not very knowledgeable about politics. This project did a great job drawing awareness to this issue, and also offering incredibly easy solutions such as simply visiting websites to learn about candidates’ stances as well as taking the ISideWith quiz.

Overall, the second-year advocacy projects o visited were very insightful, and I felt like they offered easy solutions that a vast majority of people can do in order to create change. These projects also gave me ideas for the project I will have to do next year because I have realized it doesn’t have to be something huge that I am trying to change, but instead should be something that I really care about and want to see changed.

To ensure that the democracy upon which America is built functions properly, it is important that all Americans who are eligible to vote do so. With voter turnout being increasingly lower in recent elections, it is important that we figure out solutions to increase voter turnout. Low voter turnouts mean only a small portion of the population is being represented and contributing to the decision making of the government. In order to increase voter turnout, actions need to be taken on both the national and local level. These actions include making the voter registration process easier, making voting itself more convenient and accessible, and strengthening the education surrounding the importance of our civic duty to vote in schools.

Making the process of voter registration easier can be done in a variety of ways. One way is to educate the public on how to register to vote and where they can go to register. Making it even easier, states can use automatic voter registration which would allow for eligible citizens to automatically be registered to vote when they present information to the DMV for a license or permit. Same day voter registration is also another way that states could make the registration process simpler. According to the United States Election Project’s data, same day voter registration has been seen to increase voter participation by 12 percent for people ages 18 to 25, 7.5 percent for African Americans, and 11 percent for Latinos. These large percentage increases show how same day voter registration has already been affective in increasing voter turnout. Online voter registration is yet another way that states could make the process of voter registration easier. Instead of having to find time to wait in line at the DMV, eligible citizens would have the option to register to vote online. Online registration would be especially useful for younger voters who are more familiar and accustomed to online services.

Furthermore, state governments can make voting more convenient and accessible by ensuring that there are sufficient resources in place for early voting. Many Americans face time conflicts or family obligations on Election Day; however, given the option to vote on the weekend, more Americans would likely be able to vote. In order to ensure that early voting is successful, states need to have sufficient and conveniently located early voting locations as well as hours of operation that allow those whose workdays start early in the morning and end late at night to participate. The location and resources available should be equal across the state to ensure that every voter has an equal opportunity to vote.

Moreover, it is important to educate young people about the government during their impressionable years. Many people don’t participate in governmental elections out of mistrust for the government. This can be changed if young people are taught in school how to effectively participate in governmental elections and understand the importance of their responsibility to vote. It is important to get the younger generation actively engaged in political discussion and aware of current events while their young to encourage and create a habit of voter participation.

There are many changes to the election process that can be made to increase voter participation. Some of these changes include making the registration process easier and more accessible as well as making the voting process more convenient. Other changes come from encouraging political awareness and activity in young people. These changes come at both the national and state level. Combined together, these changes can help lead to a higher voter turnout.

Sources:

“Voter Turnout Data.” United States Elections Project, www.electproject.org/home/voter-turnout/voter-turnout-data.

Laura Cecere is a second-year student from Long Island, New York studying political science here at the Ohio State University. After graduation, Laura is hopping that she will have the opportunity to attend a law school closer to home where she will be able to achieve her goal of becoming a lawyer.

Throughout her first two years at Ohio State, Laura has been involved in the Politics, Society, and Law Scholars group. She says that her favorite memory from PSL is the prison field trip. Although she thought it was a little intimidating to be surrounded by prisoners, she said it was an overall really cool and unique experience. Aside from her involvement in the Politics, Society, and Law Scholars group, Laura is involved in her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, which she joined during the spring semester of her freshman year. Moreover, Laura is in the process of trying out for Best Buddies which is a nonprofit organization that is aimed at creating one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

When Laura is not busy with PSL, her sorority, or Best Buddies, she can be found hanging out with her friends, reading, taking workout classes at the RPAC, or working on her homework. Additionally, Laura likes to frequent Sloopy’s Diner, her favorite place to eat on campus, as well as BIBIBOP which is her favorite place to eat off campus. She described BIBIBOP as being equivalent to an Asian Chipotle.

Furthermore, when asked about her favorite classes and memories here at Ohio State, Laura had a hard time choosing. After thinking about all of the classes she has had the opportunity to take, Laura decided that the Italian Literature class she is taking this semester has been her favorite. Laura has Italian ancestry, so she likes that the class allows her to connect to her routes while also being an all-around interesting class. In addition to this, Laura’s favorite memory here at Ohio State was simply meeting all of her friends at the beginning of her freshman year. The most important piece of advice she would give to current freshman is, “Put yourself out there.” She said there are so many people and friends on campus that she never would’ve met or connected with if she hadn’t been willing to put herself out there and gotten involved with different organizations on campus.