Tuesday evening, the University College of Citizenship and Public Service sponsored a Presidential debate among three prominent student leaders on campus: Jonathan Parnes, Tufts Democrats; Kristen Casazza, Tufts Republicans; and Daniel DiMaggio, Socialist Alternative represented their respective parties. All three students presented credible cases for their candidates, all three were well spoken, and all three had an impressive grasp of many of the issues at stake in the upcoming election.
However, a remarkable thing happened during closing statements in the debate. After engaging an active audience in a heated debate for 90 minutes, Ms. Casazza's last words were, "Vote for George W. Bush or don't vote." And it gets worse. During the Q&A portion of the debate after the closing statements, she repeated "believe me; if you're liberal I don't want you voting."
Let that sink in for a second. As one of the most politically active students at Tufts (and representing the Republican Party on Tuesday), Casazza has stated, and repeated, that unless you align politically with her and support the candidate she supports, you should NOT vote.
Ironically this occurred during an event that was supposed to engage Tufts students in the political process and encourage them to get involved and get informed about the upcoming election. Not only was her comment against the very goals of the mock debate, she is undermining the very foundation of this democracy. I am personally shocked and appalled that a campus leader would discourage students from voting - and worse, would do so in such a public setting.
Given the number of young voters who do not vote, the last thing anyone should be doing is telling us not to vote. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), only 42 percent of 18-24 year olds voted. Compare that with the 70 percent of those over the age of 25 who voted in 2000. The youth vote has fallen 13 percent since 1972 and is continuing to decline. We can and should do better. In fact, it is our right, privilege and absolute civic duty to vote.
With the plethora of issues that will directly impact us, young people have more reason than ever to fight for their right to vote - and to cast their ballots on Nov. 2. The Iraq war, budget deficits, stem cell research, healthcare, equal marriage, and the threat to a woman's right to choose are all issues in the forefront of the presidential campaign that will have a huge impact on young voters. Our lives and our futures are at stake here. We need to vote as if our lives depended on it.
There are too many barriers facing young people today. Many cities and towns with colleges and universities regard student voters - who are more transient than the average resident, and whose political views also may be different - as a challenge to the established order. As a result, local elections officials often discourage students from registering and voting from their campus addresses, even though the Supreme Court has ruled that they have the right to do so.
College and university administrators also bear some of the blame. Under the Higher Education Act of 1998, colleges and universities receiving federal funds must make an effort to distribute voter registration forms to every student, and to make those forms widely available on campus. But a newly released study by Harvard University's Institute of Politics and the Chronicle of Higher Education found that fewer than 17 percent of schools are in full compliance, and one-third of them are not even making minimal efforts. Fortunately at Tufts, with groups like Tufts Votes, there has been an intense effort to register and mobilize young people to vote.
All these barriers seem grim, and they could easily turn young people off from voting and politics in general. Even more frustrating is that there are people like Ms. Casazza who wish to continue to disenfranchise young voters in this election, and who want to undermine my right to vote and silence the voices of my peers. I am going to try, as successful or unsuccessful as I may be, to counteract the effects of her statement. I want to try to provide you with the motivation and inspiration you may need to vote on Nov. 2.
You have all heard dozens of times by now that we, as young voters, can make or break this election. Well, it is true. All of the polling statistics you hear daily often do not include the large numbers of young people who are going to vote in this election. They do not include the unprecedented numbers of young people who are newly registered to vote. We are going to make or break this election. We have the power to tip the scales, and damnit; we are going to use that power!
Your vote is your voice this Nov. 2. Do not allow yourself to be silenced by the few who don't think you should exercise your constitutional right to vote. And don't just stop at casting a ballot in less than a week. Until then and beyond, get informed and get involved. There are countless ways students can be active in politics. It is up to us to become active citizens and shape the world we want to live in. In the wise words of Black Eyed Peas, "Let's get it started!"
Judith P. Neufeld is a senior in the plan of study major program.
