The University of Wisconsin’s student government and a student organization hosted an event Thursday night to inform students about the importance of voting and to bridge the gap between student-athletes and the rest of campus.
The event was put on by the Student-Athletes Equally Supporting Others and Associated Students of Madison and was funded by ASM and the Wisconsin Experience, and it involved a speaker as well as some festivities.
Dorcas Akinniyi, president of SAESO, said the seclusion of student athletes from the rest of the student body prompted her to plan the event. She said the two groups are often “scared to be friends” with each other, which should not happen.
“I wanted to do something that brought everyone together so it was informal and fun,” Akinniyi said. “We wanted to make it low-key enough so people could enjoy it and also get something out of it.”
Akinniyi said many student organizations were invited, including the African Student Union and the Multicultural Student Center.
Delta Triplett, president of The Ten Group, which works to increase diversity in the workforce, ran for Wisconsin State Senate in 2012. He emphasized the importance for students to exercise their right to vote in a talk at the event.
“Value the vote and vote for what you value,” Triplett said. “Exercising your right to vote brings a lot of value, and voting for things that you value is critically important.”
He said young people especially have a lot of influence over elections. He added this presidential race is getting “ugly,” and voting is more important now than ever.
One student asked if one particular student vote can make a difference, and Triplett said every vote counts. He said mentality could potentially lead to a large portion of the public feeling the same way and deciding not to vote.
“It’s serious; this is not a game,” Triplett said. “This is your life.”
Akinniyi said the last presidential election saw a huge voter turnout of young people, and she said she hopes this year’s election will produce similar results. The last election had around 30 percent of its votes come from young people, which she said is important to keep up this year since Wisconsin is a swing state.
According to Akinniyi, the voting process is difficult for students in Wisconsin, and even more so for athletes. She said she and other athletes put so much energy toward their sport and school that it is hard to keep up with the election, be informed about how to register and find the appropriate polling location. She added there are so many steps involved that it can get confusing for students.
She said making young people’s voices heard is crucial, and young people tend to have a stigma about not caring about politics. She added that is unfortunate because politics is such a huge part of everyone’s lives.
Student athletes contribute greatly to campus by adding diversity, similar to the way every other student on campus does, Akinniyi said. She said there is no difference between athletes and other students other than athletes practicing every day.
“We are such a large body and we need to be able to have a voice, and I don’t think it’s appropriate we’re so segregated,” Akinniyi said. “I think that we’re just like regular students.”
