by Sydney Wiser ’23

For many students across the country, watching this electoral process unfurl has been frustrating. How can we change our country when we don’t even have a direct say in who gets elected? There are well-known youth advocates like Emma Gonzalez and Greta Thunberg who have spearheaded their issues at a national level, but you don’t have to be a famous advocate taking on large scale politicians to make an impact.

There are so many ways to be a member of democracy even if you can’t vote. A crucial action you can take is being well informed on issues. Find media that gives you multiple perspectives or that avoids too strong a bias. News sources like NPR and PBS tend to do a good job providing in-depth information about issues. Signing petitions is another great way to have your voice heard and websites like Change.org and Petition the White House are great tools. If you’re interested in supporting a candidate, the Biden campaign has regional student-led campaigning groups and Trump has grassroots campaigns like Students for Trump. There are also local chapters of organizations like the March for our Lives if you prefer to focus on one single issue. We may not be able to vote yet, but we can still make an impact on our nation.