FEATURE
Women
in Government
Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes. — Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, Thomas Ehrlich, editor
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HALLWAYS
For
as long as she can remember, Megan Hannon tagged along when her mom went to vote. As a girl, Megan loved getting the “I Voted” sticker and placing it proudly on her shirt. She also liked to click the buttons on the voting machine. “I always wanted my click to count,” she said. This year, it will. On November 3, the now 18-year-old Megan will vote for the first time — not with her mom, but for herself. And, in her leadership role at Harpeth Hall, Megan hopes to inspire others to do the same. As co-presidents of Harpeth Hall’s Women in Government club, Megan and classmate Ava Malnati lead a group of students interested in empowering young women through informed and active civic participation. The student organization promotes female leadership, focuses on how to have difficult political conversations, and helps young women learn how to work together, despite their differences, to achieve goals that reflect the common good. Created four years ago, the club has a core group of 10 student officers called the WIG Senate. Club membership ranges between 50 to 60 students who receive emails, attend issue deliberations, and help with events. The club itself is non-partisan, but members are not expected to be non-partisan individuals. The young women in this club hold true to the idea that it is good for an individual to be passionate about her beliefs and to work toward goals that are in line with those beliefs.
