This Fall, Middlesex Community College Students Take Action – Starting On Constitution Day

Winchester MA

15 September, 2022

2:52 AM

Description

Press release from the Middlesex Community College: September 14, 2022 Named one of Washington Monthly's 2022 Best Colleges for Student Voting Honor Roll, Middlesex Community College inspires students to play an active role in their communities. During the Fall 2022 semester, MCC's Office of Civic and Service-Learning will host a series of events to spark students' interest in their constitutional rights and voting, among other issues. "MCC students have always been engaged participants in our democracy, but the past few years have ignited a passion in our community that is exciting to see," said Kelly Bowes, MCC Coordinator of Civic & Service-Learning. "Throughout our history, we have seen time and time again how powerful a group of committed people can be. Middlesex hopes to inspire even more MCC students to vote and use their voice to elevate those who are often silenced in this country – and to go even further and create change through advocacy, activism and organizing." In honor of Constitution Day, the MCC community can tune into MassBay Community College's panel The Supreme Court and Your Right to Privacy at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 15. Students can watch online or in the Bedford Library before participating in a discussion at 12:30 p.m. on how to get involved with the upcoming mid-term elections and other issues. "I'm always enthusiastic about participating in discussions at MCC related to what's happening with our local or federal government," said Susan Woods, MCC History, Politics and Global Studies student, of Reading. "We're living in an era when there is much critique and debate about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe V. Wade as well as concern about other decisions that will affect us all for years to come. In a democracy such as ours, students and all members of a community need to be civically engaged beyond just criticizing. Using our voices to vote, supporting candidates who are dedicated to issues we believe in, attending rallies, donating money when possible, and partaking in various forms of protest are all ways we can collectively empower ourselves to help make the changes we want to see happen." To mark Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, September 20, MCC will have registration forms and QR codes available to make it easy for students to register to vote online. For National Voter Education Week – starting on Monday, October 3 – the college will run information campaigns, including a voter registration drive and how to vote early or by mail. On Thursday, October 6, Middlesex will host #BallotReady, an event for students to learn what will be on the ballot in the next election and to understand how to make informed and educated decisions. MCC's Get Out The Vote! event will take place on Tuesday, November 1 for students needing to make last minute plans, find out where they are registered, what to expect if voting for the first time, and to get the word out to others. Representatives will also be available on-campus on election day to answer questions and remind community members to vote. Other events may be added throughout the semester. Visit https://mcc.turbovote.org/ to register to vote or check voter registration status for free. "Now is not the time for complacency," Woods said. "Now is the time for action." This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author's own.