When Elkan Pleat had the opportunity to ask Vice President Kamala Harris a question at a CNN town hall, he didn’t think twice before kicking it off with a spirited “Go Birds” – a customary welcome for many Philadelphians.
The now viral moment captured more than just Philly pride, showing how young people are using every opportunity to make their voices heard.
“It’s a greeting to say, ‘Go Birds,’ but there’s also a community aspect,” said Pleat, a freshman political science major. “Philly sports is not just Philly sports. It’s a lifestyle. It’s every day, all day. I think it’s integral to the city, to the culture and also to the spirit of it all. It brings people together.”
Many young faces took the stage at CNN’s town hall event in Aston, Pennsylvania on Oct. 23. The largely undecided crowd was eager to discuss their thoughts on pressing issues like abortion and immigration with Harris.
Pleat’s enthusiastic greeting resonated with the audience and earned a smile from the Vice President. After the viral interaction, Pleat asked about Harris’ proudest moment as a politician and her time as Attorney General.
Harris’ personalized approach to questions at the event made some young people like Pleat feel empowered to engage more actively in politics.
“After the fact, any question that she didn’t give a clear and good answer on, she went up to every individual person and answered their question one-on-one,” Pleat said. “She spent like over half an hour just talking to people and answering their questions. She actually really seemed to care individually about each and every one of us.”
These interactions led to group photos and even selfies with the Vice President and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, making the event feel like more than just a town hall for attendees.
“It was an out-of-body experience,” Pleat said.
This determination to prioritize political action speaks to a growing sentiment among his peers as students continue to engage in campaigning leading up to today’s election. Recently, several of Temple’s student organizations have made an active effort to ensure students are registering to vote and making their voices heard.
Among those organizations is Temple Democrats, who have been mobilizing students to get out to the polls. They aim to encourage students to take an active role in the democratic process by hosting discussions with politicians and celebrities about the importance of this election.
Temple Democrats has tabled at multiple locations around campus every day in the two weeks before the election. By setting up stands on campus, their president Lourdes Cardamone is working to ensure students are informed on how to vote.
“We want people to be educated on how they’re going to vote, where they’re going to vote and what’s the easiest way for them to get there,” said Cardamone, a junior political science major.
Temple Votes, a non-partisan initiative led by a committee of student leaders and faculty, shares this same goal. Their approach involves providing students with comprehensive voter education and engagement.
Both organizations hope to inspire a wave of participation that can influence local and national outcomes and prove that even small actions can lead to significant changes in the larger political landscape, Cardamone said.
Peyton Giordano, vice president of Temple Democrats, also recognizes the pivotal role Pennsylvania, a battleground state with 19 electoral votes, plays in this election. Young voters in the state have the chance to make a serious impact.
“It is so important to vote because your voice matters,” said Giordano, a junior criminal justice major. “We are one of the biggest purple states and it’s really going to come down to these swing states. We all have a chance to get involved here and make our voices heard.”
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