Service Event

September 16, 2020

For the first event I’ve attended, since the school year started, I chose one that I think is very important. This upcoming election is one of the most important yet, at least in my lifetime, which means voting is more important than ever. At this event, we heard from a former IA student involved with OSU Votes. We defined what civic engagement is, and what actions we can take to fight bills we don’t support. For example, as citizens we can petition, protest, canvas, lobby senators and representatives, or call representatives. Used altogether and strategically these methods can lead to stopping bills being passed. When discussing the process for doing this and the actions, one of my favorite points the speaker made was that the main point of civic engagement is to connect yourself to the government. Thus, making our voices heard. I loved this point because that is why participating in civic engagement is so critical. We can’t complain about policies and problems in our country and not try to make a change through civic engagement.

Lastly, we discussed voting. Out of all the ways to practice civic engagement, voting is by far the most essential because it’s how we vote in representatives whose beliefs align with our own. We learned tips about voting, and what resources are best for us to be informed voters. I found this part of the discussion to be very valuable, especially with the pandemic figuring out what’s the best way to vote can be tricky. I’m glad I “virtually” got to this event because as an IA student I know being a good citizen is key to making change here and worldwide.