By William Qu
The Capps Center at UC Santa Barbara recently held a two-part virtual event during which student panelists aired their thoughts on political issues that drive the electoral decisions of young voters. The session leading up to the election was titled “What Students Want?” and the one held a week after voting aptly asked “Where Do We Go From Here?”
The lively discussions revealed that among the most urgent challenges on student minds are: the climate crisis, systemic racism, police brutality, the rise of white supremacist hate groups, immigration reform, and White House ties with authoritarian regimes in foreign countries.
The Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life is committed to non-partisan public dialogue on the local, state and national level in the belief that it is vital to democracy. The Center promotes tolerance and mutual respect through lectures, forum discussions, internship programs, ethic courses, and graduate fellowships for UCSB students.
The election event was moderated by Capps Center associate director Maeve Devoy and Aaron Jones, director of the Educational Opportunity Program at UCSB.
In the first virtual discussion, held prior to Election Day, four politically active UCSB undergraduate and graduate students — Elissa Padilla, Laith Alsayed, Melissa Barthelemy, and Shakir Stephen — argued that this year, more than ever, it was of utmost importance for all eligible voters to exercise their civic duty to vote for the U.S. President no matter what political views one holds.
In a nod to the politically polarizing climate in which we live, the panelists began by expressing their apprehension over even taking part in the event’s very public political discourse. “On a day-to-day basis, it is a bit uncomfortable to have political conversations, so I am always worried and conscious, especially when speaking with people that I may not agree with,” said Elissa Padilla, a third-year student double majoring in political science and religious studies.
But the panelists also expressed their excitement about learning from those with different perspectives and stressed the importance of educating themselves through civil conversations, rather than asserting their political views in heated debates.
Shakir Stephen, a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in religious studies, said the issues at the forefront of his electoral decisions were climate change, racism, and police brutality.
Melissa Barthelemy, a doctoral candidate in public history with an emphasis in feminist studies, expressed concern for the “sharp rise in hate crimes from white supremacist hate groups,” and a “rise in authoritarianism” stemming from President Trump’s relations with foreign dictators.
Maeve Devoy, Associate Director of the Walter H. Capps Center, moderated the Election 2020 two-part event. Photo by: Hannah Z. Morley
Barthelemy told her family’s personal story, reminding those watching that democracy is vulnerable to fascism. “My mother was born in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II and literally had Swastikas stamped on her birth certificate,” she said. “Her mom, dad, and two sisters all got Hepatitis C when they were in a displaced persons camp after the war and her parents died when she was very young because of that disease. “
For Barthelemy, the death of her maternal grandparents and the traumatic experiences her mother faced growing up make the political issues of white supremacy, hate crimes, and authoritarianism feel very real.
Immigration was high on the personal priority list for Laith Alsayed, an undergraduate student majoring in political science and applied statistics and data science who described himself as “an Arab American Muslim” with parents who immigrated from Jordan. Alsayed is worried about policies that target immigrants, such as when President Trump signed an order in early 2017 banning entry to immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, which made him scared for his family back in the Middle East.
The panelists said issues like these sparked an unprecedented interest among eligible voters to vote for the first time this fall. And they urged those who are apathetic towards voting or simply aren’t eligible to vote, to avail themselves of other ways to have a voice in political matters.
“There are a lot of local politics that you can participate in, whether that be school board elections or electing a new representative for your county,” Padilla said. “There are other local and state issues that you may be interested in voting on if you’re not interested in the presidential aspect of voting including ballot measures.”
UCSB Department of Black Studies professor Terrance Wooten joined as a speaker on the second panel, one week after the election.
Photo by: Hannah Z. Morley
Moderator Maeve Devoy of the Capps Center said the two-part event was to “get people to vote, not to tell people who to vote for.” She and the panelists urged the UCSB community to become more politically engaged on the local, state or national level, by voting or taking part in protests—whatever their views or party preferences.
“Where Do We Go From Here” the second half of the two-part virtual series, was held a week after voting day. The same panel of students was joined by faculty members Salim Yaqub from UCSB’s Department of History and Terrance Wooten from the Department of Black Studies.
The discussion explored whether the public has faith in democratic institutions as we move forward after the election, as well as ways to keep the incoming Biden-Harris administration and the Democratic Party accountable in the future.
“One thing I am looking very closely at, once Biden assumes office is who he appoints to his cabinet and who he appoints to appeals courts and district courts when federal judges leave those positions,” said student panelist Elissa Padilla, noting that the constitution gives the people many opportunities to hold those in power to account.
UCSB History professor Salim Yaqub joined as a speaker for the second Election 2020 panel. Photo by Hannah Z. Morley
“The midterm elections are two years away and if there’s people you don’t like in the House that aren’t following through on what you believe they should be following through on, as constituents, you are allowed to vote them out. That’s something we need to remember as American people,” she said.
Laith Alsayed said he’ll be watching how Biden’s foreign policies play out on the international stage, particularly with regards to Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China, the Paris climate agreement, and NATO.
Fellow panelist Melissa Barthelemy echoed the Capps Center theme that political engagement beyond voting should continue between election cycles.
“The struggles are going to continue,” she said. “The gun violence prevention movement is something very near and dear to my heart.”
Barthelemy again pointed out how politics is personal by citing the shooting in Isla Vista six years ago that killed six students and injured 14 others. “I’ve taken the streets with the fathers of victims from the tragedy and gone door to door in Isla Vista, trying to get out the vote with one of the fathers of one of our students who was killed,” she said.
Panelists for “Where Do We Go From Here” share their post-election thoughts. Photo by: Hannah Z. Morley
William Qu is a fourth-year student at UCSB pursuing a double major in Communication and Psychological & Brain Sciences. He wrote this article for his Writing Program class Journalism for Web and Social Media.