After a long road of campaigns and advertisement from both parties, it was decision time for many Saint Augustine’s University students. On Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, beginning at 11 AM, many students, faculty and staff walked to the polls to cast their vote as part of Saint Augustine’s University’s Match to the Polls event.
Led by the drum line from SAU, the students marched to the Tarboro Road Community Center just down the road from the campus. It was wonderful to see so many taking the initiative to help make decisions about their future.
While the results of the election were far different from what Saint Augustine’s University students wanted, according to exit polls conducted by the Falcon Forum, it was still great that SAU students participated in the voting process. It is important that students’ voices – especially from HBCUs – were heard.
There was a lot of talk about the influence of voters who did not attend a college or university in this election, but HBCU’s are an important factor that must be part of any elections because there are so many issues that affect us.
Jena Massey, a junior sociology major, said she realizes how much that goes on at the national level can affect her.
“Voting in this day and time is important,” said. “It not only determines the present but determines the future also.”
Even though there was a pretty large crowd for the March to the Polls event, the turnout for Saint Augustine’s students was larger than the size of the crowd indicated. Many students also voted early in their hometowns.
Voting sometimes is not convenient. “The voting lines were long, and there may have been a few minor dysfunctions, but I stayed in line and waited for my number to be called,” Massey said. “Over 100 students showed up at the polls. There were many who did not receive their voters ID card, and had to fill out information in order to vote.”
At the end of the day many students felt as though they did something great, and that did not change when the results came in. HBCU’s votes do matter in today’ society, and will that will remain true in the future.
By Porsha Cox
