Leading up to Election Day on Nov. 8, Associated Students of Loyola Marymount University have been active to encourage discourse on LMU’s campus, engage students in the political process and get them out to vote.
Under the direction of President LaShyra Nolen, ASLMU offered multiple opportunities for students to establish habits of productive political discourse and enthusiasm for political activism and engagement. Behaviors Nolen says she hopes that will continue after election day and year-round.
LMU EXP’s Andrea Crespo spoke with Nolen, a senior health and human sciences major, about ASLMU’s mission, the “Let Your Vote ROAR” campaign, freedom of expression on LMU’s campus and ASLMU’s plans for Election Day.
AC: What is the mission of ASLMU?
LN: ASLMU’s mission is to empower the voices of LMU students and to promote a vibrant campus life. Our team this year is placing a special emphasis on service to traditionally marginalized communities on campus and encouraging Lions to get out and vote.
Our team is separated into two divisions: ASLMU Senate and ASLMU Cabinet. The Senate team has the primary role of advocating for students and advancing their concerns in order to create change at our university.
The ASLMU Cabinet team is composed of three different divisions: University Affairs, Programming and Communications. These three divisions work together in order to put on awesome events, dialogues and performances in order to promote an active campus life at LMU.
How did ASLMU try to encourage LMU students to participate in the political process and to vote?
In order to provide students with resources for the upcoming election, ASLMU launched our “Let Your Vote ROAR” (Register, Observe, Act, Revolutionize) campaign, which included the following:
- Launch of lmu.edu/vote webpage: In partnership with the University Marketing and Communications Department and the LMU Center for Service and Action, ASLMU helped launch a webpage for students to access to register to vote and find resources related to the election.
- Voter registration tables: We have worked with College Democrats and College Republicans since Sept. 20 to increase the number of registered voters on campus by setting up voter registration booths from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Campus-Wide Debate Watch Parties: ASLMU held debate watch parties for all three presidential debates, two of which included facilitation from LMU professors. For the second debate we collaborated with the Student Housing Office and had watch parties at various residence hall lounges.
- Mini-Grants: ASLMU funded registered student organizations up to $500 to create an event that encouraged students to register and/or educated students on the election. This included: College Republicans’ and College Democrats’ “The Great Debate”, MEChA’s “Prop 54: A Discussion on Bilingual Education,” and as well Sigma Phi Epsilon’s “Dunk to Vote.”
What was ASLMU’s message about the election?
We want students to understand that voting is a privilege, a privilege that may people around the world unfortunately don’t have. Every four years people anxiously await the results of America’s presidential election because of the immense effect American politics has on a global scale—that’s a lot of power we have. So it is important that we exercise our mission of being women and men with and for others by voting because a lot of people are depending on us.
How successful was ASLMU in getting LMU students registered to vote?
We kept a record of the count of students registered in four weeks and estimated 80 students. That’s about 20 students per week. We also noted that approximately four of every five students during voter registration reported they were already registered to vote. Though we don’t have the exact count of students registered to vote at LMU, we can definitely say that LMU students are engaged in this year’s election.
How can students contribute to make LMU a safe space for dialogue and freedom of expression?
The biggest challenge I see with freedom of expression is defining the line between insightful, respectful dialogue and the type of dialogue that could be potentially defined as harassment. Therefore, as Lions I think it’s important that we continue to step outside of our comfort zones, ask the tough questions and engage in the difficult conversations, while also recognizing LMU as safe and inclusive community.
What is ASLMU’s plans for Election Day?
For the finale of the campaign, we are having our “Let Your Vote ROAR” Rally on November 7 on Sunken Gardens. The goal of the event will be to hype students up before voting on Tuesday. There will be student performances, music and opportunities to learn about propositions. The first 200 students will receive an exclusive embroidered “Let Your Vote ROAR” baseball cap and free tacos from the Kogi food truck. It will be a time students won’t want to miss.
Want to get involved with ASLMU? Visit ASLMU.org to learn about committees you can join. Or visit the ASLMU office in Malone 101 with your ideas on how to make LMU better.
Top photo courtesy of LMU Newsroom