FEATURE 11 Sophomore Becca Jeffries (left) poses with her sister at a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest in Chantilly, Va. in June. Despite being unable to vote, Jeffries participates in activism and campaigns. “I attended many BLM protests over the summer that were safe. Everyone was masked and staying apart, so protests are still possible,” Jeffries said. PHOTO COURTESY // Becca Jeffries
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VOTER-PATHY S
tanding in line and checking off a ballot. Sharing a post on social media. Emailing a local representative. Voicing your opinion by protesting. With the approaching presidential election, political conversations are increasingly shared on- and off-line, and students are able to stay politically engaged in a number of ways. Despite being underage and unable to vote, sophomore Becca Jeffries passionately participates in politics by working for campaigns and organizations, speaking out in proposal presentations, and corresponding with local legislators. She’s found it to be beneficial in ways besides being able to raise awareness about political issues such as climate change. “It’s nice to know that you are really making an impact and changing the world for the better,” Jeffries said. Percent Voter Turnout By Age “It’s given me a lot of Group in Election Years confidence I lacked prior to these experiences, and taught me many valuable skills.” Senior Reevu Adakroy, who has recently turned eighteen and voted early, shares how simply being Source: U.S. Census Data politically informed keeps teenagers, including himself, engaged. “[I know] I'm really lucky to have the privileges I do and live the lifestyle I do,” Adakroy said. “If by paying attention or staying informed, I can take the time to make [society] better
by Annika Duneja and Connie Ryu
Civic engagement at Jefferson regardeless of age and eligibility
for others [as well], then why not?” However, according to the NPR, voter apathy is increasingly visible in recent elections,with four in ten eligible voters not voting in 2016. While these numbers reflect voters of age, Adakroy spoke about the significance of youth in adult voter apathy. “Everyone that's an adult was once a youth, so it's worth starting [civic engagement] early,” Adakroy said. “Once you're old enough to understand what's going on, it's worth taking the time to be informed and know what's going on - whatever age that is.” Jeffries argues that a possible reason for the rise of voter apathy may be due to selfishness, where voters fail to cast their ballot in political issues because they are not directly affected by them. “You can’t neglect the sufferings of millions of people because it doesn’t cause you suffering,” Jeffries said. “Not voting because you’re indifferent to something bad that’s happening can be as harmful as arguing for it.” Accordingly, Jeffries strongly encourages her fellow youth to fight for issues they may be passionate about, particularly because she’s found her personal experiences to be unexpectedly impactful in making real change. “I’ve found that people in power find youth activists really inspiring, and in many cases, tend to listen to us more than adults,” Jeffries said. “This gives us an important power, and we need to use it.”
