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Election Day is nearing and Jasmine Hector ‘26 intends to vote. She knows how important it is to make her voice heard.
“We are the future,” said Hector, who is majoring in cellular molecular, and physiological biology. “How we vote makes a difference. I feel like it’s important to pay attention to politics and what is going on.”
Hector was one of many Christopher Newport students who came out in force for Captains Vote, an annual event organized by the Wason Center for Civic Leadership. The event is held to encourage students to register to vote, and to give students the opportunity to meet local and state candidates.
Candidates from both sides of the political spectrum were on hand, as were election officials to help students register.
“Captains Vote is about empowering our students to find their voices in the democratic process,” said Cami Castleberry ‘20, director of the Wason Center. “When students have a chance to ask questions, learn from others, and engage with different perspectives, they begin to see how their civic participation really can make a difference.”
Students gathered in the plaza, speaking with candidates, learning about area political organizations, and finally registering to vote.
Justin Bridges, a freshman who is a member of the CNU Student Government Association (SGA), encouraged his fellow students to turn out to vote.
“Politics might seem boring, but it actually affects a good portion of our lives,” said Bridges, who is majoring in political science. “It affects our generation.”
That message was not lost on Samantha Rollison, ‘28 Social Work. “”It’s important to vote,” said Rollison, who is on the Student Advisory Board of the President’s Leadership Program. “Some don’t have that opportunity in this world.”
Rollison was with a group of PLP students who came to help at the event.
“From the leadership perspective, voting is very important,” said PLP member Ella Smith ‘28 Psychology. “Your vote could be the tie breaker.”
A key component of the Captains Vote event is the Wason Center’s student elections survey. Wason Center Scholars were on hand to help administer the survey, which was developed and launched last year in coordination with the first Captains Vote event.
Dr. Becky Bromley-Trujillo, research director at the Wason Center, along with the Wason Scholars Survey Committee, oversees its design, collection, and distribution. The survey is designed to help better understand students’ perspectives on elections and policy.
“We started doing the CNU students elections and policy survey because it's important for students to have their voices heard,” said Bromley-Trujillo. “Oftentimes, elected officials are only hearing from older generations, but young people have unique and important perspectives to offer that we want shared widely. The survey also provides a great opportunity for our Wason Scholars to learn how the survey process works, as I work with them to write this survey each year.”