Daily Wildcat | General Election | November 2024

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KAMALA HARRIS CAST THE TIE-BREAKING VOTE TO PASS THE LARGEST INVESTMENT IN CLIMATE ACTION IN HISTORY.

- 37% IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS + 1.5M NEW JOBS

+ $3,562 INCREASE IN REAL DISPOSABLE INCOME PER CAPITA

THE OTHER GUY SAID CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX INVENTED BY CHINA.

ELECTION DAY: NOVEMBER 5

GENERAL ELECTION | VOLUME

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OPINION: Your activism shouldn’t end after the election

KIARA ADAMS

The Daily Wildcat

Between phone calls, texts, advertisements and signs on the road, there’s no running from it. You know, without a doubt, it’s an election year. You can’t escape it either. Trying to scroll on TikTok? Here comes a Kamala HQ post to some trendy song. Trying to take a drive to clear your head? Oh look, there’s signage on every corner for Kari Lake, Kirsten Engel, Raúl Grijalva, Amish Shah — you name it, they’re gonna be there. Trying to watch your favorite TV show on cable or Hulu? Here comes a commercial about “Border Czar” Kamala Harris or “danger to democracy” Donald Trump. It never ends. According to Axios, during the

2022 midterm election, Americans received over 15 billion political texts, and this year it’s gearing to be even more. The messaging is very clear and borderline overt. This election (just like the last two elections) is a “fight for our democracy” according to the Detroit News.

But why does all this fighting only want to appear during an election year? Is our precious democracy not important enough to fight for in odd years? Where was the overwhelming messaging in 2023, 2021, 2019 or even 2017? Why is it that everyone touts their civic duty and wants to use their voice only once every 4 years? What about the rest of the time?

While the easy answer is obviously that presidential elections are every 4 years and that’s why everything starts up so suddenly around these times, I think it’s deeper than that.

We can’t just rally the troops and head to the polls once every 4 years and then wash our hands of politics until the next election year rolls around; once we elect these people, they hold these jobs for years.

It’s up to us to keep caring outside of just casting our ballot. We have to care who is on our board of supervisors, who our mayor is or who our sheriff is, and we have to hold them accountable while they are in office.

We have to watch what they do during their term when their names aren’t appearing on ballots. We have to see if they’re following through on promises made to constituents. We have to watch their work.

Your activism and rallying and effort should not end after Nov. 5. You should continue to be politically active, civically engaged and watch what these elected officials up and down the ballot do once they get your vote.

According to a Global Citizen article, this idea is put simply as, “Civic engagement is about acting in ways that benefit your community. The outcome of an election has serious implications for

the welfare of a community, which is why voting is so important. But as [Election Day] comes and goes, you can carry the energy and momentum that surrounds voting into other parts of your life.”

There is so much more to civic engagement than voting and washing your hands of everything. There are still responsibilities placed upon you as a member of your community.

Civic engagement doesn’t have to end at the ballot box. If there’s a proposition you care about, whether it passes or fails, join a community group about the issue.

Do you care about abortion and Proposition 139? Get involved with the Tucson Abortion Support Collective. They’ll be around after the election.

Do you care about immigration and Proposition 314? Get involved with Chicanos por la Causa and their immigration services. They’ll also be around after the election.

Do you care about tipped workers and care about Proposition 138? Get involved with the Common Sense Institute for Arizona. They too will be around after the election.

There is so much more to activism and civic engagement than just one day in November.

It’s up to you to communicate that with your community and continue the work year-round, not just in an election year.

*DW opinion articles represent the views and opinions of the writer and do not represent an editorial position*

Kiara Adams, Daily Wildcat social media coordinator, is a senior at the University of Arizona studying journalism with a minor in government and public policy. Kiara has reporting experience with local news services including Arizona Luminaria and the Daily Wildcat. Outside of the Daily Wildcat, Kiara spends her time reading, watching movies or hanging out with friends.

AMARA WILLIAMS | THE DAILY WILDCAT

WHILE ELECTION SEASON BRINGS about an overwhelming environment of activism and involvement, this flurry of activity always seems to tail off right after voters hits the polls. Writer Kiara Adams argues that civic engagement must continue long after the election has passed.

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A STUDENT WITH THE Arizona for Harris campaign helps with voter education on the UA Mall on Oct. 15. The student on the right was in line to meet U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.

PROPOSITION DEEP DIVE

A tipping point for tipped workers: How Proposition 138 affects Tucsonans

BY NANDINI MANEPALLI

Many college students rely on income from working in the service industry, meaning that the outcome of Proposition 138 — which proposes a change to Arizona’s tipping system — has the potential to significantly impact students at the University of Arizona.

Specifically, Proposition 138 proposes an amendment to the Arizona Constitution that would allow tipped workers to be paid 25% less per hour than the minimum wage if any tips received by the employee are more than the minimum wage plus $2 worked.

This would change the current law in Arizona, which allows businesses to pay $3 less than the minimum wage, which is $11.35 per hour, as long as their total take-home pay, which includes tips, amounts to the minimum wage of $14.35 per hour.

If Proposition 138 went into effect today, businesses would instead be able to pay workers 25%, less than the current minimum wage of $14.35, which is $10.77, as long as the total pay amounts to $16.35, the minimum wage plus $2 per hour.

Grant Kreuger, a restaurateur and member of the Arizona Restaurant Association’s board, explained that having tips helps make up an employee’s minimum wage which can help offset costs for restaurants, particularly in difficult economic times.

“We have incredibly slim margins, and as such you’ve got to manage your costs like a hawk,” Kreuger said. “You just can’t possibly absorb a really big cost increase without also having to raise your prices.”

Proposition 138 would affect workers with tipped wages,

The cost increase that Kreuger is referring to was a proposition brought by an organization named One Fair Wage, which proposed raising the minimum wage in Arizona to $18. One Fair Wage’s proposition did not make it onto the ballot this election cycle, but according to Kreuger, it spurred the creation of Proposition 138.

“I think it makes sense,” Sofia Medivil, a UA sophomore working in a tipped food service position said in response to arguments like Kreuger’s that Proposition 138 helps businesses stay afloat. “But it’s putting more pressure on the customers to tip, and also on the workers, because they live off the tips. I feel like it’s the responsibility of a business owner to be able to pay your workers and for them to not have to depend on the customers.”

Victoria Stahl, a communications organizer at Unite Here 11, shared similar sentiments to Medivil. The group is primarily concerned with the decreased base pay from $11.35 to $10.77 that Proposition 138 would bring about.

“Whether or not a restaurant owner is saying it’s too expensive to run a business, it’s also expensive to run a family and afford bills, basic needs, groceries and medical costs,” Stahl said. “If a customer going to a restaurant is the difference for a server making rent that week, the workers become vulnerable in that situation, not the owners or the customers. The workers pay the price.”

Additionally, Stahl believes that Proposition 138’s provision that employees’ total take-home pay must equal

the minimum wage plus $2 has been deceptively framed to seem like a raise for employees.

“If you do earn above the minimum wage plus $2, you are going to be put back at 25% less than the minimum wage and then have to make more tips to actually make up the difference that they’re claiming is a raise,” Stahl said. “I think the idea that we’re going to add more of these confusing hurdles for workers to have to keep track of makes the entire system muddied when it already is working perfectly fine.”

UA sophomore Lorelai Barrett, who has previously worked in a tipped server position, shared similar sentiments to Stahl about preserving the current tip system.

“I feel like the system is fine as is,” Barrett said, citing the potential decrease in base pay that Proposition 138 would bring.

“I feel like service jobs shouldn’t be lower than minimum wage,” Barrett said. “Tips just depend on the customers you get, and customers are not always willing to tip.”

However, Kreuger pushed back on the idea that customers are beginning to tip less, referencing data he has collected from his restaurants.

“If you’re trying to calculate the tips made per hour, I bet you could find some variation, but when you look at it by week or month I really don’t see a tremendous amount of variation,” Kruger said. “You’re going to have some great tippers and some crummy ones, but that parabolic curve will average out.”

Proposition 138 is on the ballot in this year’s general election in November. Visit the Pima County website for more information on voting.

NANDINI MANEPALLI | THE DAILY WILDCAT UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD

that employ workers in the university community.

service

hospitality industries.

The Daily Wildcat

Campaign rallies in Tucson this year

MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT

FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA enters the stage inside the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center on Oct. 18. Obama was accompanied by state and local candidates.

MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT

SUPPORTERS FIND THEIR SEATS early at JD Vance’s rally on Oct. 9 at Tucson Speedway. Many showed up hours before gates opened in the morning.

JAY CORELLA | THE DAILY WILDCAT

RAUL AGUIRRE WELCOMES GOVERNOR Tim Walz to the stage during a rally at Palo Verde High Magnet School on Oct. 9. Aguirre is the CEO of REA Media Group.

CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT A GROUP OF ATTENDEES at the Harris-Walz rally dance to the Cupid Shuffle on Oct. 9 at Palo Verde High Magnet School. The rally was delayed by Walz’s travel schedule.

MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT SENATOR JD VANCE SPEAKS to a crowd of supporters at Tucson Speedway on Oct 9. All candidates on both sides of the aisle made stops in Arizona in the same week.

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A FAN PREPARES FOR Barack Obama’s arrival inside the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center on Oct. 18. She high-fived the crowd as she ran up to the risers.

MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT

CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

PHOTO GALLERY

EMMA DIAZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT PEOPLE IN THE CROWD try to catch flying “Make America Great Again” hats on Oct. 16 outside of the student union. Turning Point USA, a nonprofit focused on conservative education, brought activist Charlie Kirk’s “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour” to UA.

EMILY BECK | THE DAILY WILDCAT

CHARLIE KIRK HANDS OUT “Make America Great Again” hats to students on Oct. 16 near the Student Union Memorial Center. Kirk was joined by former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and TikTok influencer Bryce Hall.

EMMA DIAZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A STUDENT HOLDS UP a “Wildcats For Harris-Walz” sign on the University of Arizona Mall on Oct. 15. The group Wildcats for Harris promoted the meet and greet event with U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A RALLY ATTENDEE HOISTS her fist in the air as former President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of local supporters inside the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Sept. 12. At this point, Trump led Harris in the Arizona polls.

GRACIE KAYKO | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A MAN HOLDS A sign while waiting in line at the Trump rally outside of Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Sept. 12. The sign reads “Make Pets SAFE Again.”

EMMA DIAZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT U.S. SENATOR FOR ARIZONA Mark Kelly makes a speech on the University of Arizona campus on Oct. 15. “This guy shouldn’t be allowed in the Oval Office,” Kelly said about presidential candidate Donald Trump.

MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT

EMMA DIAZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

SINGLE-ISSUE VOTING

How Arizona’s single-issue voters could impact the November election

BY GRACE GARFOOT

The Daily Wildcat

Single-issue voters in Arizona, specifically in the student demographic, could play a role in the upcoming November election based on issues influencing youth voting decisions.

Single-issue voters are voters who base their voting decision on a candidate’s stance on one specific issue, such as abortion, the economy or the Israel-Palestine conflict. This choice to single-issue vote has risen in popularity in the last few election cycles and it could be influential in Arizona, a notorious swing state.

“Right now, we have a very even split between red versus blue candidates and voters because there’s a lot of tension,” Christina Petrin, the president of Planned Parenthood Generation Action at the University of Arizona said.

“It’s very present in people’s conversations and we tend to be very hushhush about who we’re voting for and what’s going on in politics because we don’t want to get political. I think normalizing those conversations is important,” Petrin said.

While PPGEN, in association with Planned Parenthood Arizona, doesn’t consider itself a single-issue organization, they only endorse candidates who have stated that they are prochoice, putting them in a very similar position to many single-issue voters. Single-issue voting usually impacts national and state-level elections, both of which are happening in Arizona at this time.

PPGEN advocates during a time when abortion is the top issue for young women under 30 who are

voting.

“Our job is to advocate for prochoice legislation. With that, we endorse candidates who have said in their campaign that they want to focus on women’s rights and getting that legislation, in state especially,” Petrin said.

Arizona has been coined a “battleground state” since before the 2020 election. Recent surveys of Gen Z voters have revealed that they will be voting regardless of party affiliation, according to the ASU Center for an Independant and Sustainable Democracy. This lack of affiliation with a specific party, which 95% of students reportedly identify with, lands them closer to single-issue territory, which is influenced by recent global events and their gravity.

This election comes at a time when a growing number of Gen Z voters are more likely to sympathize with the Palestinian people’s cause. Harlow Parkin, a sophomore at the UA, said that it can be hard to justify voting for candidates due to dissatisfaction in response to how leaders have handled the war.

“In lieu of the recent atrocities in Gaza, it is becoming increasingly impossible from a humanitarian perspective among others to justify the reelection of the Democratic candidate who, as child patients at Al-Ahri tent hospital burn alive, idly orbited the country on her campaign trail,” Parkin said. “My voice is my voice and I am undecided how I will fill in my ballot because I think that sitting with the discomfort our electoral system imparts is crucial to realizing how unjust American politics has become.”

With tensions running high and opinions such as Parkin’s being one of the major players in many young

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AS ISSUES LIKE ABORTION, the conflict in Palestine and gun control dominate politics, single-issue voting becomes more prevalent. These voters base their decision on a candidate’s stance on one specific issue.

voter’s minds, the stances of each candidate on controversial issues are becoming more and more prevalent motivators in the voting decisions being made.

The idea of single-issue voting, especially among the Gen Z population, is also fueled by social media being the main news outlet that this demographic uses, a fact which 56% of polled students have confirmed, according to the ASU Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy.

However, only 5% of polled Gen Z voters have said that they are absolutely not going to vote in the November election, with reasons including they were too busy or the process was too confusing.

“Now that we’re old enough, we should be mobilizing and endorsing candidates that most align with our organization’s values of promoting healthcare and rights and not taking a

step back,” Petrin said when asked about voting in general. “It’s 2024, it’s time to start acting like it.”

Even with the idea of single-issue voting, Parkin said that there is nuance in deciding to vote on just one issue.

“If I am a one-issue voter, it is not because I emphasize the issue of Palestine and forget everything else, but instead because I realize that the atrocities we are abetting, both in Palestine and against our marginalized here at home, are inextricably linked,” Parkin said.

With new polls and statistics being released daily, it remains to be seen whether or not single-issue voters will have as influential of an impact as they are predicted to.

However, as November draws near, Arizona voters and the issues they deem important will play a significant role in the election’s outcome.

SELA MARGALIT

THE DAILY WILDCAT

SELA MARGALIT | THE DAILY WILDCAT SINGLE-ISSUE VOTERS, WHO BASE their voting decision on a candidate’s stance on a singular topic, may play a role in the Nov. 5 election. Gen Z voters specifically sway more into single-issue voting territory.

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STUDENT VOICES

First-time student voters weigh in on general election

Students across the aisle share their political motivations and having their voices heard.

BY MOHIM JAHONGIROVA AND SOPHIA HAMMER

The youth vote is often a contentious topic in elections. Gen Z turned out in significant numbers in the last general election, with 2020 seeing one of the highest rates of youth voter participation.

In the 2022 midterm election, voters under 30 continued to strongly support Democrats, voting 68% to 31% for Democratic candidates according to the Pew Research Center.

Polls also show a gender divide among young voters, with young women largely supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, while young men are leaning toward former President Donald Trump. Both candidates are targeting younger audiences to receive the youth vote: Harris through appearances on platforms like TikTok and through podcasts like “Call Her Daddy,” and Trump engaging with personalities like Bryce Hall and being on the “Full Send Podcast.”

Many University of Arizona students who are independents voting for Democrats, along with those registered as Democrats, said they’re supporting Harris because of her progressive stance on issues like reproductive rights. UA students who are independents voting for Republicans and registered Republicans said they’re voting for former President Donald Trump,

WALK TO DROP off their ballot or early vote. Early voting continues at the Student Union

Center, Santa Cruz room on the third floor through Thursday, Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

attracted to his focus on the economy.

Eleanor Cornish is a sophomore at the University of Arizona and a registered Democrat. She said that reproductive rights is a top concern for her.

“I feel like reproductive rights are a really key issue for many women and while that is important to some men, it doesn’t directly affect them as much, [so] they might be less inclined to vote on that issue. Some men may also not want to vote for a woman for president,” Cornish said.

Zuleyka Alvarado, a freshman at the UA who is an independent voting Democrat, had similar thoughts.

“A lot of more progressive views focus on women, so it directly impacts

women. Obviously it’s for their [women’s] own rights, ” Alvarado said. She also mentioned that Proposition 139 was a big issue for her since it would make abortion a Constitutional right in Arizona.

Registered Republican Hannah Vusiyo is from Connecticut but registered to vote in Arizona because of its swing state status. Vusiyo said she believes her vote carries more weight in Arizona, where the outcome could lean either red or blue, whereas Connecticut is reliably blue. The economy is Vusiyo’s top issue.

“Inflation and money are important to

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

SOPHIA HAMMER | THE DAILY WILDCAT STUDENTS

Memorial

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A STUDENT HOLDS A “Students for Harris Walz” sign on the UA Mall on Oct. 24. Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke held a rally to reach student voters.

The Daily Wildcat

MASON KUMET | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A YOUNG PAIR OF Trump supporters wait in line to see Donald Trump at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on September 12.

STUDENT VOICES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

“Inflation and money are important to me,” Vusiyo said. “I want things to be cheaper.”

In response to the Harris campaign’s heavy focus on abortion and reproductive rights, Vusiyo said, “Trump’s leaving abortion up to each state individually and I think that’s great. I mean Connecticut is a Democratic state, so nothing would affect me there.”

Esteban Macias is a sophomore at UA and an independent voting Republican in the upcoming election and, similarly to Vusiyo, placed importance on the economy.

“Inflation is most important to me. Seeing how the two presidential candidates are dealing with that and their policies,” Macias said. “Seeing both perspectives and experiencing both sides of how the Biden-Harris administration did and how the Trump administration did, we just saw a better economic time during Trump. We saw a more peaceful time, we saw a better economy and there is just more hope that way, compared to Harris where there was a lot more inflation. To me, it seems kind of untrustful of her [Harris] claiming that she is going to do all this stuff.”

Despite the divisiveness in the heat

of this election, the students interviewed talked about how excited they were to be voting in their first general election.

“I am really excited particularly because it is such an important election and I’ve been really invested in politics for a really long time so it’s really exciting to have my voice be heard,”

Cornish said. “[The UA] has been a really great environment for voices to be heard.”

Macias also appreciates the openminded environment at the university.

“I find a lot of people here that are very accepting and understanding that I am a Republican voter,” Macias said.

First-time voter Jacob Avila shared how daunting the experience of voting can be at first.

“It’s something I am still learning about because it is the first time so it’s not going to be perfect, ” Avila said.

He continued that modern politics is difficult, with issues ranging from international conflicts to domestic debates on abortion, it is hard for young voters to find out who to vote for. However he said he is still excited to be able to exercise his right.

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EMMA DIAZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT A STUDENT REGISTERS TO vote on Oct. 15 on the UA Mall. U.S. Senator for Arizona Mark Kelly held a meet and greet with students encouraging them to vote.

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT STUDENTS RAISE THEIR HANDS awaiting a “Make America Great Again” hat from Charlie Kirk on Oct. 16 on the south side of 2nd Street Garage. Kirk, a conservative activist, was joined by Tulsi Gabbard and Bryce Hall.

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

ROSS NEMETH SPEAKS WITH Associated Students of the University of Arizona members about voting in Arizona on the UA Mall on Oct. 10. ASUA encouraged students to make a voting plan.

CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A 2024 VOTER EDUCATION guide welcomes students to a town hall event on Oct. 17 inside the SouthREC. Early voting began in Arizona on Oct. 9 and the last day to send mail-in ballots is Oct. 29.

Partisan politics to blame for the nation’s ‘flawed democracy’ status

BY LIZZY SORENSEN Arizona-Sonoran News

For the eighth consecutive year, the United States has been rated a “flawed democracy” by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The nation ranks 29 out of 167, falling between Malta and Israel.

On Oct. 10, faculty from the University of Arizona’s School of Government and Public Policy participated in a roundtable discussion, sharing their opinions on U.S. democracy and whether it is currently under threat.

A majority of the discussion centered around the deeply divided partisan politics in the nation and how that has contributed to democracy here reaching its flawed status.

The four panelists from the School of Government and Public Policy–Paul Schuler, associate professor and associate director; Paulette Kurzer, professor and director of the graduate program in international security; and professors Suzanne Dovi and Chad Westerland aimed to examine the 2024 election in an era of global democratic backsliding.

That’s the gradual decline or erosion of democratic institutions, norms and practices that plays out when governments decrease judicial independence, attack a free press, weaken electoral integrity or dismantle governmental checks and balances.

Dovi said affective polarization, when people feel more positive toward their own political party and more negative toward the opposing party, has been trending out of control.

“We are no longer voting for something, we are voting anti our political opponents,” she said. “That’s really threatening to the legitimacy of our democracy.”

Westerland echoed that sentiment

and noted that it is shared among scholars at the School of Government and Public Policy.

“We sort of joke a little bit amongst ourselves that the study of American politics is only the study of polarization these days,” he said. “We can’t talk about anything else, even if we would like to.”

The growth of polarization has contributed to the spread of misinformation facing the country.

“Polarization increases the degree to which people are willing to believe things that are untrue in order to bolster their own side,” Schuler said. “You feel so strongly that your team needs to win, that you are willing to sacrifice democracy.”

Dovi credited that trend to the plethora of media readily available for consumption online.

“I think it’s a kind of intellectual

laziness from being overwhelmed with modern life,” she said. “It’s almost like we don’t care anymore if what we believe is true. We would rather just have an answer.”

The panel also discussed the potential of the 2024 election being rigged, as some Republicans including Donald Trump have suggested. Westerland said that would be highly unlikely.

“An electoral fraud scheme requires an incredibly in-depth knowledge of how elections work in all 50 states, but also a coordinated effort across all of these different institutions,” he said. “That’s really hard to do.”

Instead, voters should be concerned about changes in election laws around the country that might make it harder for some people to vote.

States including Georgia, Arkansas,

North Carolina and Wisconsin have made recent adjustments to voting protocols. This includes the counting of ballots by hand, use of digital IDs at the polling places, legality of ballot drop boxes and use of electronic signatures.

Westerland said the continued success of U.S. democracy requires action from the people, especially in the Nov. 5 general election.

“I think at the end of the day, American democracy is relatively robust, but it is certainly not a given and it requires active cultivation of the democratic norms of political participation,” he said.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

LIZZY SORENSEN | ARIZONA-SONORAN NEWS

FACULTY FROM THE UNIVERSITY of Arizona’s School of Government and Public Policy participate in a roundtable discussion Oct. 10 about issues like preserving democracy and increased partisan division. The event took place at the Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center and was open to the public.

SCHOOL OPINIONSSPIRIT

OPINION: Conservative voices on my campus are silenced and misrepresented

BY ZAINA JASSER

Of my gender, ethnicity and religion, the unfailingly consistent and false assumption made about me is my political leaning. I hide a shameful, disappointing secret to my greater community. I discourage conversations and watch my words in ideological discussion out of fear of exposure and judgment. I have et down women and people of color. I’m a female, Arab and Muslim college conservative.

Stereotypes follow us all, yet, priorities to eradicate them end at political parties. This is especially true within my classrooms, throughout my education and among my peers. Conservatives can’t seem to escape the long-nosed caricature as unempathetic and closed-minded Trump drones. The misperception of the Republican Party is inescapable on campus, which couples nicely with the dominance of the Democratic Party in continuing these stereotypes. Free speech will suffer at the hands of these unwavering misperceptions. My university is failing its conservative students by allowing it.

The shock by my friends once I’m outed is the biggest giveaway of their unfortunate misperception of conservatism. So, I am here to clean a few things up. A Republican is not a racist nor a bigot. The Conservative Party — which is often synonymous with the Republican Party — values family, privacy and, most of all, liberty. It takes pride in its democracy, meritocracy and low governmental intervention in everyday life. It seeks to capitalize financial freedom and national security with American pride. Despite commonly held beliefs by my classmates, conservatives can exist with empathy, understanding and care for everyone. We do not judge people who identify as homosexual, do not think women are ob-

are failing their conservative students by allowing the perpetuation of misleading stereotypes about Republicans.

jects and do believe legal immigrants are the backbone of America. There is no hatred or despicability in being a conservative. There is no love for war, death or making people feel unwelcome. In my experience, the opposite has been more true. I struggle to feel accepted by my liberal political counterparts.

A study conducted by political scientists at the University of North Carolina reported that nearly 70% of their conservative students feared that they would lose friends for the sake of their free speech and self-expression. The Pew Research Center reported 79% of Republicans believe professors bring their own political and social views into the classroom, compared to 17% of Democrats.

In a philosophy class I audited, I participated in a discussion of the “Barbie” movie in which a student started his comments with the words “imagine if a conservative was here” on the topic of feminism. I am a

feminist.

Outside of the classroom, the dominance of opinion is apparent just walking through campus. A sign on every street corner advertises this year’s Harris-Walz movement, but I have yet to see an advertisement for the Republican contender, Donald Trump. The solicitors on campus asking for political signatures or signing students up to vote do so under the Democratic administration as well. Whether purposeful or not, the other half of America is blatantly undermined and unrepresented in these ways. Colleges are not ideological bubbles of Democrats; they should represent America. And college conservatives looking for a community or a sign of acceptance on campus will be consistently disappointed and isolated during this election.

As election season passes us by, I feel greater importance making clear what the Republican Party stands for and how this

pervasive bullying and discrimination against us will destroy free speech. Constant rejection of conservative voices not only deteriorates a well-rounded education, but also inhibits the growth of a representative democracy for college students.

If these behaviors continue, my future may look bleak. As I apply for medical school, I can only hope that my political affiliation isn’t ill-taken by admissions committees or medical students. I can only hope that my reputation doesn’t precede me, and that my heart is not negated by a political label. Being a conservative is only a fraction of who I am, but assumptions of my character can have a huge effect on my daily life.

College conservatives need to break free from these labels. Just by showing some compassion and non-judgment is the perfect place to start. Where discrimination is pervasive, it’s best not to dwell how one is perceived but rather how to respond. Though I can hope for a world where my affiliation means less than my character, I use this to listen to my counterparts, show the more interesting and better parts of myself and use the constant disagreement to develop more confidently what I want from my government. In fact, being a conservative in a liberal university may just benefit you. So, conservative students should use their voices as they please when protected under speech rights while understanding the audience which receives them. Representing a party is a huge undertaking, though necessary in developing true acceptance and representative democracy.

*DW opinion articles represent the views and opinions of the writer and do not represent an editorial position*

Zaina Jasser is a junior studying physiology and philosophy with a minor in music at the University of Arizona. She enjoys conversations about ethics, trying new cheeses and metal rock and wants to work in medicine one day.

JONATHAN BONILLA LEON | THE DAILY WILDCAT COLLEGE CAMPUSES ARE OFTEN seen as beacons of civil discourse and political education. However, opinions writer Zaina Jasser argues that universities

The Daily Wildcat

Arizona Proposition 314: Divided approaches to immigration reform

BY TOPAZ SERVELLON

With the election less than three weeks away, Arizonans will soon have the chance to vote on a range of ballot propositions that could impact their communities. The 13 measures address various key issues, from tipped wages to abortion, topics that have been at the forefront of voter concerns. Among the most significant issues, both nationwide and locally, is immigration.

According to the Pew Research Center, 44% of Americans surveyed consider increasing security at the U.S.Mexico border to be a very important goal for U.S. immigration policy. Out of the Americans that were surveyed, 25% considered establishing a path to citizenship for non-citizens is also a very important goal for U.S. immigration policy.

With Proposition 314 on the ballot, Arizona is no stranger to prospective immigration legislation.

Proposition 314 is a legislative ballot measure introduced to the Arizona House of Representatives in February as the “Secure the Border Act” following the veto of a similar bill by Governor Katie Hobbs.

The proposition would make it a misdemeanor or felony to enter the United States outside of its official ports of entry. It would also give state, city and regional police the ability to detain non-citizens who cross the border unlawfully.

Additionally, the proposition would allow state judges to order deportations. It would also require individuals to enroll in the E-Verify program to confirm their immigration status prior to the enrollment of public welfare programs such as federal financial aid. Criminal penalties would be applied if false documents for the purposes of

employment or public welfare benefits were to be submitted.

The proposition would also increase penalties for the sale of fentanyl.

The measure was later amended by the Arizona State Senate. The amended bill added criteria for probable cause by law enforcement and established conditions for ordering individuals to return to either their country of origin or country in which they entered from. The amendment also removed legal protections and defenses available for DACA recipients under the context of the bill, one of them being protection from deportation.

Proposition 314 was placed on the ballot by Republicans in the Arizona legislature after Hobbs vetoed a measure that was

similar.

Supporters of Proposition 314 view it as an opportunity to increase border security and issues associated with lack thereof.

“It establishes a legal framework that enables state authorities to protect their communities, uphold the rule of law and mitigate the detrimental effects of uncontrolled immigration and drug trafficking,”

Andrew Adams, chairman of the Legislative District 14 of the Republican Party, said.

State Representative Ben Toma, who also is for Proposition 314, sees it as an opportunity to raise awareness of where the federal government has shortcomings.

“This [proposition] is not anti-immigrant. This [proposition] is anti-lawlessness. It’s about securing our border, because the

federal government has failed to do their job,” Toma said.

Regarding federal law, entering the United States at a location that is not an official port of entry is already enforced by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Tucson falls within the radius of the 100-mile border zone, which allows Border Patrol proceedings to occur without disruption. Also, non-citizens currently do not qualify for federal programs.

The march to stop Proposition 314 took place the morning of Friday, Oct. 11, at the Josefina Ahumada Worker Center.

The Daily Wildcat

PROPOSITION DEEP DIVE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Community members and associations came together to call for people to vote against Proposition 314 in the upcoming general election. Community members protesting compared the proposition to SB 1070, a law passed previously in the state aiming to reduce the state’s undocumented immigrant population.

Josefina Ahumada Worker Center’s goal is to platform members of the community who work in trades, creating a network of mutual aid. The center said they hosted the rally because the “immigrant community is the backbone of our economy and brings cultural diversity to our state.”

Peñaflori Ibarra, a member of Josefin Ahumada Worker Center, migrated from Peru to the United States searching for work. Ibarra said heleft because of “the uncertainties within political figures and governmental systems. If I would have stayed behind, I would have been killed.” Ibarra has been in the U.S. for almost two and a half years. Ibarra left behind his three children and the mother of his children who he described as a brave woman. Now Ibarra is a U.S. migrant worker.

“We are workers and we work well,” Ibarra said about migrant workers.

Jim Byrne, president of the Tucson Education Association spoke at the rally

Bryne said.

Byrne added how propositions such as these affect student behavior in schools.

“Coming from [Cholla High School], the fear is real. Whether it’s not having their parents come on campus, being concerned about family members, knowing that family members are indefinitely detained in one of the forprofit private prisons and detention centers, it’s real. It has a huge impact on their psyche, their mentality and just on who they are as a person,” Bryne said.

Carolina Silva is the Executive Director of Scholarships A-Z, a Tucson-based non-profit that supports undocumented students through scholarships, workshops and mentorship. Silva spoke on her experiences growing up undocumented in Tucson while being present at the rally.

similar to other anti-immigrant bills being voted on again.

“I feel like the fact that politicians would go as far as to put it on the ballot again and try to pass this racist [proposition] just tells us how out of touch they are with communities and that they’re trying to harm communities when they really should be serving the interest of community members across Arizona,” Silva said.

Local representatives such as Adelita Grijalva, Lane Santa Cruz and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, were also present prior and post-rally, voicing their opposition to Proposition 314.

and explained his group’s motivations in opposing the proposition.

“We’re here as union members, as educators, because we have personal family members who would be racially profiled by this. We have coworkers, we have students and their family members as well, and community members who are important to us, and we just take a principled stand against something that is racist, discriminatory and dehumanizing,”

“Unfortunately I had to experience family separation within my own family. I think people don’t realize that when we allow policies like this to take into effect, it’s not necessarily about targeting dangerous people, or it’s not about securing the border, it’s about policing your very own community, and that means putting black and brown bodies on the line,” Silva said.

Silva continued that she was disappointed to see a proposition so

“Immigration issues are the responsibility of federal governments, and cities like Tucson and our police department will be overwhelmed. It will cost people money. It will cost cities money, it will cost counties money, it will cost the state money. And this is unfunded. For the people out there thinking that this is the way to resolve [the] broken immigration system, this is not the way,” Romero said.

The Grand Canyon Institute, a nonpartisan think-tank, estimates that Proposition 314 would cost an excess of $325 million annually to Arizona taxpayers.

TOPAZ SERVELLON| THE DAILY WILDCAT

TWO MEN HELP CARRY a banner reading “No on Proposition 314” as protesters march on 22nd Street. The protestors rallied against Proposition 314 that will be on Arizona’s ballot in the upcoming general election on Nov. 5.

TOPAZ SERVELLON | THE DAILY WILDCAT

TUSCON MAYOR REGINA ROMERO speaks to protestors at a rally against Proposition 314 on Oct. 11 at the Josefina Ahumada Worker Center. Romero said she believed the proposition would criminalize immigrants..

TOPAZ SERVELLON | THE DAILY WILDCAT CAROLINA SILVA CHANTS ALONGSIDE protestors downtown on Oct. 11. “Everywhere we go, people want to know who we are, so we tell them, we are the immigrants, the mighty, mighty immigrants, fighting for justice, and our families,” Silva said.

Latest ABOR meeting raises concerns over voting at Arizona public universities

BY JASMINE CREIGHTON The Daily Wildcat

Concerns were raised about voting resources on Arizona campuses during an Arizona Board of Regents meeting at Northern Arizona University on Sept. 26.

The first ABOR meeting of the academic year was held at the NAU campus where members of the Associated Students of Northern Arizona University made multiple statements about improvements and changes that they want to be made including voting availability at Arizona schools.

“We need our students voting if we want to give funding to our state universities,” said Kyle Nitschke, ASA co-executive director.

Nitschke addressed the limitations on voting registration at NAU.

“Recently our NAU professors were directed to not allow voter registration in classrooms due to it being a parti-

san activity. I think that’s something that really needs to be investigated and looked into. That’s not something we’ve seen in the past,” Nitschke said.

During his statement to the board of directors, Nitschke also mentioned his disapproval of the University of Arizona’s voting center being shut down the day before Election Day.

“At U of A, they’re doing early voting every day leading up to Election Day, but then they’re taking that vote center away on Election Day. We’re worried that it’s going to be very confusing for students,” Nitschke said.

In light of the issues Nitschke brought up surrounding the voting center being shut down, Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Adriana Grijalva clarified voting availability on campus and where students can go to vote.

“We’re doing early voting and emergency voting here at the Student Union, and then we’re also having Election Day voting,” Grijalva said.

Early voting and emergency voting will be available in the Santa Cruz room of the Student Union Memorial Center throughout the rest of October and early November.

The voting center on Election Day will not be in the SUMC but instead will be in the First United Methodist Church at 915 E. Fourth St., about a five-minute walk from campus.

“The Student Union was not cleared because it wasn’t accessible for Election Day with long lines, bathroom, security [and] parking. As for the church, it was only a five-minute walk from Old Main and it was more accessible for those that are in housing,” Grijalva said.

In response to Nitschke’s comments about the voting center, Grijalva said, “It was really disheartening to see somebody that was part of this committee and saw the decisions now feeling that we weren’t making a lot of effort.”

According to Grijalva, a meeting was held before the last ABOR meeting to discuss access.

“ASA had a seat on this so they were part of the conversation,” Grivajla said. “They were aware that the church was the

location and got cleared later at the last meeting.”

On Sept. 26, ASU, NAU and UA student body presidents all signed an executive statement concerning voting on Arizona campuses and called on ABOR to join efforts in ensuring Arizona’s students are heard in the voting process.

“As Student Body Presidents across Arizona’s public universities, we collectively recognize the profound importance of amplifying the student voice in our democratic processes,” the letter read. “Through nonpartisan, collaborative initiatives, we stand united in promoting robust voter turnout and empowering students to shape the future of our state and country.”

In preparation for election season, Grijalva said that ASUA has compiled various activities, information sessions and other resources to make voting as accessible as possible for UA students.

“This year has been the most proactive election season we’re seeing in efforts here at the University of Arizona,” Grijalva said.

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

STICKERS AND PINS FOR “Wildcats take Action” are offered by the ASUA on the UA Mall on Oct. 10. They offered merch and voter education to encourage informed voting on campus.

EMMA DIAZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

THREE STUDENTS TALK TO each other as they wait to meet U.S. Senator Mark Kelly on Oct. 15. The University of Arizona Mall held a meet and greet where a former ASUA student body president introduced Kelly.

Wildcat Town Hall tackles tough questions about effective democracy and voting

BY SOPHIA HAMMER

The Daily Wildcat

The organization Arizona Town Hall partnered with the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and the School of Government and Public Policy on Oct. 17 to host a Wildcat Town Hall. The Town Hall aimed to bring students, community members and University of Arizona employees together to discuss Arizona’s voting system and what makes an effective democracy.

The mission of Arizona Town Hall is to bring together different communities to create solutions for challenging problems facing Arizona and the U.S., while encouraging participants to think of how the solutions they come up with can be implemented.

Participants at the Wildcat Town Hall were invited to share their experiences and opinions in a collaborative, roundtable setting, where they engaged with questions and worked toward a consensus.

The questions asked were designed to provoke diverse, multi-partisan perspectives. All discussions are recorded and turned into a final report of recommendations made by the participants. The report of recommendations is made available to Town Hall members, elected officials — including the Arizona Legislature — public libraries and other leadership organizations. The report is also available to the general public.

Topics of the questions are chosen a year in advance, with Arizona’s public universities collaborating with nonacademic professionals to produce a research document that guides discussions.

Assistant Vice President for Community Relations at the UA Julie Katsel explained that Arizona Town Hall used to be an exclusive event, often held at nice venues and hotels over several days

and attended by a select few.

However, “Arizona Town Hall decided a few years ago that this model that they had of all these people coming and having a long weekend where they could talk about these issues was great for those people who could participate, but there were a lot of voices not represented. So there were policy recommendations coming out of that that were just from a pretty narrow group of Arizonans […] so Arizona Town Hall took the show on the road,” Katsel said.

Now Arizona Town Hall has collaborative discussions with Arizonans all over the state.

The first question presented during the Wildcat Town Hall was, “what constitutes an effective democracy?”

Many of the participants agreed that voting accessibility constituted an effective democracy.

“It’s important that people actually want to participate. When our voter participation is at like 60-70 % there is a large chunk of people who have the ability to make their voices heard who are actively choosing not to,” Grady Campbell, an undergraduate student at the UA, said.

According to Campbell, while many people are choosing not to vote, a more concerning issue is that some can’t vote due to barriers like being unable to take time off on Election Day, not knowing how to vote or facing other inequalities in the voting system.

“I think here in Arizona we have a lot of stricter registration requirements, especially for out-of-state students, you have to establish proof of residency […] whereas in other states you might not have to meet those requirements. And our voter registration deadline is a lot earlier,” Campbell said.

Other participants in the group suggested that registration should be automatic or the deadline to register should be closer to the election.

An Arizona Town Hall fact sheet that was given to participants read that a large number of Arizonans favored election ac-

cessibility measures like early voting, mailin voting and automatic voter registration. It also read that most Arizonans view their elections as fair and secure.

However, the broader national conversation on trust in the election system has been influenced by fraud claims, particularly following the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Former President Donald Trump and his supporters alleged that the election was stolen due to widespread fraud, including issues with mail-in ballots and voting machines.

During the roundtable, Nick Hilton, director for government and community relations at the UA, said that several people are concerned, untrusting and left with the feeling that the voting system is unfair.

“We are at a place where a lot of people are just concerned and don’t trust and they’re fearing and they’re left with this feeling that things aren’t fair. And so we do need to take steps to make sure our system is perceived as equal by everybody,” Hilton said.

According to Hilton, making sure people are aware of the safeguards that are built

into the election system is the first step to regaining that trust.

Other questions included, “what actions should be taken and by whom to make voting, electing and our democracy more effective?” and, “to what extent do our current political and civic systems support an effective democracy?”

Hilton said that a barrier he feels has exhausted voters and their desire to be engaged is increasing divisiveness.

“I think a barrier that comes to mind for me is how both parties are sharing these messages that are based on outrage all the time and it’s exhausting for voters. When we’re so focused on outrage and these short little video clips, we’re not actually becoming informed in any way. It just seems for busy people who are raising kids or working, you don’t have time to sift through all of that, so you just shut it all out,” Hilton said.

Other topics brought up throughout the roundtable discussion that had to do with voting and democracy were about the Electoral College, Arizona judges and Arizona ballot propositions.

CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A GROUP OF UNIVERSITY of Arizona community members participate in a Wildcat Town Hall on Oct. 17 inside the SouthREC. The event was organized by the group Arizona Town Hall, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and the UA School of Government and Public Policy.

Jane Fonda visits Tucson to support Democratic Arizona Corporation Commission candidates

Climate change is a top concern for many voters, especially those who are young, yet there are several Arizonans who don’t know how the Arizona Corporation Commission plays an important role in that fight. The ACC is responsible for utilities in Arizona, including decisions on renewable energy, so the commission directly impacts Arizona’s energy future.

Jonathon Hill, one of the Democratic candidates running for the ACC, joked, “It’s the least sexy office in Arizona.”

This is also why it might be surprising for some to see Jane Fonda in Tucson, canvassing for the ACC’s Democratic candidates: Hill, Joshua Polacheck and Ylenia Aguilar.

You may know Fonda as a famous actress, but she’s also a long-time activist and started the Jane Fonda Climate Political Action Committee to support candidates focused on progressive climate action.

On Oct.18, Fonda and two of the three Democratic candidates, Hill and Polacheck, hosted a Get Out the Vote canvassing event outside of Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva’s office.

“Down ballot candidates are having a hard time getting the money, getting the volunteers, getting the media coverage and we come along, the Jane Fonda Climate PAC and we can help with that,” Fonda said while addressing canvassers.

The ACC is a five-member commission with a current 4-1 Republican majority. With three seats up for election, the three Democratic candidates have an opportunity to flip that Republican

The Republicans running are Rene Lopez, Rachel Walden and Lea Marquez Peterson. Peterson is the only incumbent seeking reelection.

“So much of your daily life is affected by who is on the ACC and that is why we have to flip it,” Fonda said. “We are very rigorous in who we endorse. So the fact that we’re endorsing these chaps [Hill and Polacheck] means that they are true climate champions. They are going to work for you, they are not going to work for corporations, which has been the situation in Arizona for far too long.”

Polacheck grew up across the rural West and attended middle and high school in Tucson. After spending 20 years serving as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, he returned toTucson in 2019 and became involved with the League of Women Voters and the Democratic Party.

Polacheck said he is running for ACC because it has been one of the races that doesn’t get the attention he hoped it would.

According to Polacheck, there is a disconnect between public perception and the realities of where Arizona gets its energy.

“Right now we think this is a sunshine state. We see solar panels on parking lots and we think ‘Oh Arizona is making the transition to affordable energy independence’ [...] That’s completely divorced from the reality. The current Corporation Commission is putting de facto mandates on the utilities to keep using coal and gas,” Polacheck said. “When we talk about our diversification, we say, ‘Arizona should have the best of the above approach.’ There are lots of different ways Arizona can get electricity. First and foremost Arizona is the prime economy in the entire world for

solar.”

According to Polachek, clean energy like solar would provide stability for renters, particularly young people who are often more vulnerable to fluctuating utility costs and are paying for utilities for the first time.

“If you’re in an old 1920s house in West University wouldn’t it be great if your landlord could get reimbursed for making that house airtight and getting better insulation?” Polacheck said. “[The] current commission literally killed a program that allowed landlords to upgrade their rental properties to make them more energy efficient and get reimbursed.”

“For the renters that would love to see

their utility bills go down, would love to see the stability and reliability that comes from clean energy, that’s only going to happen if we have a Corporation Commission that is actually committed to diversifying how we get our electricity,” Polacheck said.

Polacheck and Fonda encouraged voters to spend more time researching smaller elections and elections people may not pay attention to before voting in the upcoming general election.

“We just want to make sure people understand that they know the power of their vote and that they have three votes for the three spots on the Arizona Corporation Commission,” Polacheck said.

SOPHIA HAMMER

The Daily Wildcat majority.

CHARLIE RAMIREZ | THE DAILY WILDCAT

JANE FONDA POSES WITH local politicans and candidates at the Get Out The Vote door knocking event on Oct. 18 at the office of Adelita Grijalva. She hosted the event alongside Democratic ACC candidates.

OPINION: Politics is not friendship criteria

BY ZAINA JASSER

The Daily Wildcat

Election season is in full swing. Papers flying, news stations buzzing and people chanting this and that. But the American symbol of triumph — a season of pride and impiety — may just be one of our greatest weaknesses. Among the chaos, as you check boxes, furrow brows and wave fists angrily in the air, for the sake of America, please remember: Never take a political opinion as a judgment of character. You may just run out of friends if you try.

As old England separated the Catholic Church from the state, we separate the government from the people and the war from the heart. In a sphere of hyperpolarization, allowing hatred and annoyance to linger among innocent conversations of coffee and Mars is a severe moral injustice to the character before you. A presidential preference, a pro-this or anti-that, all have little to do with character. Rather, let actions speak. The moral inflation of politics has increased among Gen Z and college students who, bright-eyed, enter the political sphere ready to enact civic change — an honorable and mandatory duty — yet do so without the proper understanding of integrity. Politics does not consume everyday life. We must all be reminded of that.

I wholeheartedly encourage political passion — it’s what keeps my democracy thriving. Though we struggle with polarization within the sphere, let it remain so at least. As emotions are high, especially when indefensible lives are involved in the current seemingly endless Middle Eastern wars, it’s difficult not to judge

someone who disagrees with you. I do it all the time, and it may be the case that you do too. Political philosophy rests on the assumption that your argumentator does not judge your character but rather the logic of your words and arguments. Doing so is what is considered an Ad Hominem fallacy. As friendships rest on respect, kindness and empathy, let nothing else impede on such a judgment of goodness.

Politics is a disagreement of the descriptive, of facts. A political scientist deals with what is, not what ought to be. This succinctly, and very importantly, distinguishes a moral or ought-to-be conversation from a factual one. More likely than not, you and your friend both share very similar core morals, with some variable nuance, but disagree on a factual technicality — say historical figures, dates or quotes. All sides of the political spectrum agree that murder is wrong, justice is fair and equality is good. Political disagreement occurs beyond the goods and bads. And though this line between normative or not is tricky to define in politics, trust your intuition which disagreements are worth overlooking or not, for your own sanity of mind.

Cancel culture is the most notable and disastrous consequence of overridden intuition and this trend of judgment of politics as a normative framework is only a disregard of another’s dignity and a disorder of the heart.

Search to understand the core values involved in a friendship. If they misalign, then the friendship may best be respectfully let go. But an argument over what is going on in the world — not what it ought to be — may destroy an otherwise cherished and invaluable friendship. I have done it too many times, so I take great heaviness in the words I write now, in grief and the humility I seek to portray for the experiences different from my own.

Love that looks past disagreement bubbles bolder than ever. Political diversity may find only greater friendship, where we look at what we value rather than what we do not. Where winning an argument is dissatisfying, humiliating and a means for insignificant political gain. Politics is suitand-tie mumbo-jumbo that, though prevails justice and order, is also, well, just politics. So, may your humility of factual indifference spare a beautiful and enriching life of diversity, health

and happiness.

*DW opinion articles represent the views and opinions of the writer and do not represent an editorial position*

Zaina Jasser is a junior studying physiology and philosophy with a minor in music at the University of Arizona. She enjoys conversations about ethics, trying new cheeses, and metal rock and wants to work in medicine one day.

MADDIE FRENCH | THE DAILY WILDCAT WITH THE NOV. 5 ELECTION fast approaching, college campuses are rife with political discourse and engagement. Opinions writer Zaina Jasser argues that the current trend of the moral inflation of politics, especially by students, is a detriment to our health, humility and happiness.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Local campaign launches to protect Arizona’s most vital resource

BY ZOE MONTAÑO Arizona-Sonoran News

After more than a year of researching community concerns and priorities, the Water Guardians, a campaign by the Arizona Center for Empowerment, officially launched last Saturday at Kino Sports Complex.

More than 60 community members attended the event, which opened with a blessing from Grupo Coatlicue, an Aztec dance group, and a panel of local leaders and environmental experts.

Before the launch, the Arizona Center for Empowerment hosted listening sessions to shape their campaign priorities, zeroing in on education and awareness, corporate accountability for overuse and abuse, contamination prevention, water conservation and food sovereignty through community gardens.

The campaign was started over a year ago by Rocky Rivera, an environmental justice organizer with the non-profit center that helps organize underserved communities to achieve social justice. For Rivera, water contamination is personal. Growing up near the Bisbee mines, he witnessed the effects firsthand.

“We hear about how toxic mines can be. My parents lived there their whole lives. My dad died of cancer at 69 and never drank or smoked. My mother died a short nine years later after having other rare forms of illnesses,” he said. “Water obviously became a passion of mine and it’s personal.”

The issue ranks high on the list for Arizona voters, 93% of whom agree that “groundwater is essential for communities, farming, industry and Arizona’s way of life,” and expressed the need for stronger protection measures, according to a 2024 public opinion survey conducted by the Center for the Future of Arizona.

“Water is our number one resource,” said Arnold Montiel, a member of the Water Guardians. “Imagine going and turning on your faucet in the morning to make coffee or brush your teeth, and no water comes out. If you’ve got a baby that needs formula or an abuelito or abuelita that’s sick and needs their hot water, it becomes clear how crucial [water] is.”

Just 90 miles away from Bisbee, residents of South Tucson unknowingly consumed contaminated water from the 1950s to the early 1980s, tainted with trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent dumped by aircraft companies according to the Pima County Library’s Pollution in Tucson Water archive.

Although some achieved legal justice, according to the same archive, many victims, including their children and grandchildren, still suffer the lingering effects of environmental contamination.

Roberto Jaramillo, Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board member, has spent most of his life on Tucson’s southside and has had family and friends affected by the contamination. At the campaign launch, he shared that several of his classmates have died from cancer and other illnesses. At class reunions, they set up a table with photos to honor those lost.

“I have four sisters. There’s been a lot of miscarriages, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, the list goes on,” he said. “What frustrates me is when agencies tell us there’s no correlation with the water we consumed back then, the water we swam in, the water our moms and dads cooked with and the water the cafeteria used, too. They say it’s not going to affect us in any way, yet here we are.”

Denise Moreno Ramírez, a president’s postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizona College of Public Health, has spent the last 15 years researching Arizona communities impacted by hazardous waste. Having grown up along the Arizona-Sonora border region, Ramírez stressed the importance of addressing binational contamination. She said many of her high school friends from Nogales now suffer from health issues due to environmental contamination.

“We need to stop making these projects that are perpetually extracting people from these communities and we need to do something now because I don’t have 30 to 40 years to figure out if I’m going to have cancer,” she said. “My friends are calling me and telling me.”

While it is well known that water contamination impacts physical health, the Water Guardians say that its consequences run much deeper.

“My advocacy is focused on mental health,” said Jayden De La Rosa, a member of the Water Guardians. “Not only did [water

contamination] impact physical issues, but it was psychologically damaging, too.”

Daniel Sullivan, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, conducted a survey comparing the mental and physical health concerns of southside residents who were exposed to historic contamination to those who were not.

Sullivan said that residents of Tucson’s southside who lived there before 1981 reported higher levels of cancer, autoimmune disease and birth defects compared to those who moved there later or live in central Tucson. While the results are based on personal accounts, not medical records, Sullivan said they are important to consider.

“[Southside residents] reported very high levels of depression compared to what we see in those studies,” Sullivan said. “Most importantly, they reported symptoms of what we would call, as psychologists, post-traumatic stress about environmental contamination.”

Sullivan asked participants how often they think about the contamination, their history of water exposure and how much it affects their sleep and causes worry. Around 30% of respondents displayed strong symptoms of what would be considered post-traumatic stress, with water contamination being a significant source of anxiety.

“The history of being exposed and wor-

rying about diseases that are affecting them internally,” he said. “This is really significant to us because the stress itself is a health issue.”

In the coming year, the Water Guardians campaign plans to partner with organizations across multiple regions in Arizona, including Tucson, Santa Cruz Valley and Cochise County, to initiate discussions on water contamination.

The organization’s end goal is to establish legal recognition of human rights for Arizona’s rivers. This idea was inspired by a 2017 law in New Zealand that granted the Whanganui River personhood status, according to the New Zealand Parliament. The move was intended to strengthen water protection and build trust with Indigenous communities living near the river.

Other rivers around the world, including the Ganges River in India and the Magpie River in Canada, have since been granted similar protections.

To learn more about the Water Guardians, visit https://www.empoweraz.org/ environmental-justice.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

ZOE MONTAÑO | ARIZONA-SONORAN NEWS

“CONCH SHELLS REMEMBER WATER, we keep them facing up because we are asking for rain,” said a performer of Grupo Coatlicue, while leading a blessing of Arizona’s sacred river waters before the campaign launch.

PROPOSITION DEEP DIVE

Abortion in Arizona: What to know about Proposition 139

BY DANIELLE HARTSHORN The Daily Wildcat

Abortion has been a heavily debated issue in the past couple of years, especially with the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. One of the most contentious propositions on the ballot in Arizona this year is Proposition 139: the Right to Abortion Initiative.

According to Ballotpedia, Proposition 139 would “amend the Arizona Constitution to establish that every individual has the fundamental right to abortion that the state of Arizona may not interfere with before the point of fetal viability.”

The ballot measure would also prohibit laws that penalize a person for assisting an individual in getting an abortion.

After the point of fetal viability, abortions would be allowed when necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant individual. However, this choice would be in the judgment of a healthcare professional.

“In the post-viability space the medical professionals’ judgment will be the one that is followed, but in the pre-viability period for the fetus, there is to be no intrusion into the pregnant person’s ability to access abortion care,” said Christopher L. Griffin Jr., director of empirical & policy research at UA James E. Rogers College of Law.

Fetal viability is defined by the proposition as the point of the pregnancy when there’s a significant chance that the fetus could survive outside of the mother’s womb.

“By many reports, 20 weeks is the earliest that we have documented

fetal viability. Usually, people speak of a range between 22 and 24 weeks,” Griffin said.

According to the proposition, “This right would not be interfered with unless justified by a compelling state interest […] a compelling state interest is defined as a law or regulation enacted for the limited purpose of improving or maintaining the health of the individual seeking abortion care that does not infringe on that individual’s autonomous decision making.”

When it comes to government regulation, the state wouldn’t be able to get between the pregnant individual and their doctor when the abortion constitutes a life-saving or health-enhancing measure, according to Griffin.

Abortion is legal in Arizona up to 15 weeks of pregnancy, but there have been judicial actions before now that led to this status.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe. v. Wade removed the constitutional right to abortion. This decision placed abortion policy decisions with the states, with Arizona deciding on abortion access being up to the first 15 weeks in 2022.

On April 9, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Civil War-era near-total abortion ban. In May, lawmakers voted to repeal this 1864 abortion ban, which leaves the 2022 measure as the law of Arizona.

According to Griffin, one of the strengths of the proposition is that it’s trying to return Arizona to a pre-Dobbs state of affairs.

“Abortion access in Arizona would look exactly like it did from 1973 to 2022, which is a medical procedure that is done in accordance with the standard, widely accepted practices of the medical community,” Griffin said.

cover every contingency. For example, questions concerning what exactly it means to assist a person in obtaining an

According to Griffin, when considering the downsides, ballot propositions don’t

SELA MARGALIT THE DAILY WILDCAT

PROPOSITION DEEP DIVE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

are likely to play out in litigation if the proposition passes.

Despite the proposition’s benefits and drawbacks, putting abortion access in Arizona’s constitution would reflect that this is something significant to the people within and outside of the state.

“By enshrining a fundamental right in the state’s constitution, it would reveal […] the voting public’s sense that this is something that should be granted with very, very few restrictions as possible to people who get pregnant in the state of Arizona. And that the right to make reproductive choices of one’s own, up to a certain point, is something that should not be infringed,” Griffin said.

One of the supporters of this proposition is UA Planned Parenthood Generation Action, an organization on campus that educates the community about reproductive rights and reproductive health.

“I think that it is a significant step towards people gaining the freedom to make their own health care decisions, which is the basis of abortion access in general,” said UA sophomore and Vice President of UAPPGEN Amara Williams.

“This isn’t about politics, this isn’t about

religion, this isn’t about morals, this is about a resource that everybody can have access to,” Williams said.

Even though Williams always believed in abortion access, joining UAPPGEN opened their eyes to the interconnectedness of this proposition and how it affects the community.

“When we say intersectionality, there are a lot of different communities that can be affected by abortion bans or by abortion access, such as people of color, different genders, […] [or] different income levels,” Williams said.

In Williams’ own experience coming from a low-income family, it was difficult making the far drive to the closest clinic so that their mother could get a medical emergency abortion.

One of the opposers of this proposition is the organization It Goes Too Far, and according to the organization they disagree with the healthcare standpoint.

“Unfortunately, most voters are not told that under this unregulated, unlimited abortion amendment they will lose the required medical doctor, critical and commonsense safety standards for girls and women seeking abortion, and moms and dads will be shut out of their minor daughter’s abortion decision, leaving

her to go through the painful and scary process alone. Abortion is legal in Arizona up to 15 weeks and we have common sense safety precautions to protect girls and women. It’s reckless to lose those safety precautions just to expand abortion beyond what most voters support,” said Cindy Dahlgren, the spokeswoman for It Goes Too Far.

According to this campaign’s healthcare professionals’ declaration, “We may be Pro-Life, we may be Pro-Choice, and

we may take a position without one of those labels. We are divided on the issue of abortion, but we are united in this: The health and safety of all patients must be our top priority.”

As of Oct. 18, 11 statewide abortion ballot measures were certified for the general election ballot: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada and South Dakota. This is the most on record for a single year.

ERIKA HOWLETT | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A CROWD OF UNIVERSITY of Arizona students and community members march along the middle of campus, holding signs in support of pro-choice on Thursday, April 13 2023. The protest was held to counter the anti-abortion group that set up a demonstration on the UA Mall for two consecutive days displaying large, graphic images of blood and dead people.

OLIVIA KRUPP | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A CROWD OF UNIVERSITY of Arizona students hold up pro-choice signs in protest of the anti-abortion demonstration on display on campus on Thursday, April 13, 2023. The demonstration and counter-protest were just one instance of abortion-related discourse on campus.

ERIKA HOWLETT | THE DAILY WILDCAT

A UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA student and pro-choice advocate holds up a pro-choice sign on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Students gathered in a protest against a graphic anti-abortion demonstration on the UA Mall.

VOTER RESOURCES

Bear Down & Vote: A new era of student engagement in Arizona

MOHIM JAHONGIROVA

With election season approaching, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona has launched the Bear Down & Vote program to encourage voter participation and educate students about the election process.

The initiative aims to empower first-time voters and those unfamiliar with the intricacies of voting by providing resources and support to help them navigate their first election.

Adriana Grijalva, the ASUA president, explained that the program is designed to address common challenges faced by new voters, including understanding voter registration deadlines, finding polling places, and interpreting ballots.

"What inspired us a lot was encouraging students and empowering them through this process. We know it could be overwhelming, so we wanted to make sure that we help students with the resources and get them voting this season," Grijalva said.

The program includes a variety of outreach efforts, such as informational workshops, voter registration drives and social media campaigns to raise awareness.

The voting workshops are held on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 12:00 p.m. as well as on Monday, Nov. 4 from 5-6 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Suite 325.

Events are held in partnership with student organizations and local election offices, making it more accessible for students to register, check their voting status, and learn about their voting rights.

Bear Down & Vote also focuses on providing educational content that covers key topics like understanding ballot propositions and researching candidates.

The website provides information on where and how voters registered in Pima County can cast their vote.

Early voting goes from Monday, Oct. 21 until Oct. 31 and individuals can cast their vote at the Santa Cruz room on the 3rd floor of the SUMC from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Election Day voting is located at the First United Methodist Church on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

Grijalva said faculty and staff have been supportive through this process.

“The provost sent out a message on his weekly newsletter, so colleges are taking part in that with sharing this through their classes and etc., so they have played a huge part through our campus helping us to get the work

done,” Grijalva said.

So far, the initiative has received positive feedback from students.

“We are seeing more students excited and thrilled about the process because they have support and we try to make it fun as well with pizza, snacks and interesting activities at gatherings,” said Benjamin Huffman, ASUA senate president.

He said the program's impact is already visible, with an increase in voter registration.

As the election approaches, Bear Down & Vote continues to work toward making voting a seamless and empowering experience for all students at the UA.

This effort by ASUA represents a broader trend among universities seeking to encourage political participation and ensure students' voices are heard in the democratic process.

The Daily Wildcat

NOOR HAGHIGHI | THE DAILY WILDCAT

ADRIANA GRIJALVA WELCOMES STUDENTS to learn about voting on the UA Mall on Oct. 10. Grijalva, the student body president, is joined by other ASUA members.

KIARA ADAMS | THE DAILY WILDCAT

THE PIMA COUNTY RECORDER'S Office and the Pima County Elections Department table together on the UA Campus on Wednesday, Oct. 2. The event was to help student get informed and registered to vote in the upcoming November election.

Arizona early voting starts Wed, Oct 9. Election Day is Tues, Nov 5, 2024.