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Chicago Voter Registration Event
Voter Registration – Reaching the Students
By Sister Nancy McCarthy, BVM
September 25, 2014
University of Illinois – ChicagoFirst of all, my reflections are influenced by the fact that I
studied on this campus nearly 30 years ago, and the memories that came back
along with the GREAT changes that have taken place were astounding.
I tried to imagine how I'd react if I were approached by a 'Nun-on-the-Bus'
and asked if I'd registered to vote!
Most of the students I spoke with actually said they had (and sounded
proud of it). They were very happy to receive our materials and willing to fill
out voting pledge cards. The informational flyer about candidates was very
helpful in getting them to talk.
The ones who told me they had not registered also said they didn't
have time/were late for class, and so we didn't talk either. Several said they
weren't citizens, but one woman said her husband was and asked if she could
have materials for him.
For the most part, I tried to choose groups who were sitting around
on campus and obviously had a little time to talk. They were all very friendly and
interested. One group really wanted to express their hopes for raising the minimum
wage. My general feeling was one of gratitude for the experience and a
realization of the value of taking time to talk about important things with the
younger generation.