Wesleyan students have found a new use for all those free weekend cell phone minutes. Last Sunday, 15 students phoned swing-state voters to urge them to vote in the November election.
The event, organized by Kat Johnson ’06, was billed as “Democracy on the Quad.” Wesleyan was just one location, as activists on other campuses and in city parks donated their cell phone minutes to help get out the vote.
“[Democracy on the Quad] makes calls to swing states on the behalf of progressive organizations such as MoveOn.org and America Coming Together (ACT) using free cell phone minutes,” Johnson said. “A lot of times that frees up people working on the ground in those swing states who would otherwise have to make those calls.”
Johnson went on to explain the origins of her involvement in the group.
“When I heard about it I thought it sounded like a really amazing, good way to get involved,” she said. “I was frustrated by the lack of options on campus and thought this could be a great thing to bring to Wesleyan.”
Johnson said she was encouraged by the turnout.
“Last week it was only four people and it’s blossomed to 14, which is pretty awesome,” she said. “I think it’s really important that people get involved.”
“I would encourage any people who have any political interest to do something about it: that’s what Wesleyan is all about,” said Amelia Long’06. “Despite the air of nonpartisanship, the atmosphere was decidedly anti-Bush.”
ACT and MoveOn are officially nonpartisan, and thus their volunteers are not allowed to endorse candidates,
As Long worked on a sign that read, “Uproot the Malignant Bush,” Holly Wood ’08 said she was tempted to yell “Vote Kerry!” into the
answering machine of constituents who weren’t home.
“I think the biggest thing for me is that we’re talking to people in their thirties and forties and they hear me—an eighteen year old girl—calling, and it makes them think ‘If someone so young knows more about this than I do, I need to get on the ball,’” Wood said.
“It’s really important to be politically active at this time,” said Jeff Wong ’08. “I really hate Bush, and I’ll do whatever I can to get people to vote and get him out of office.”
Some of the volunteers, like Sarah Meier-Zimbler ’08, expressed discouragement.
“I’ve called forty people and no one will talk to me!” Meier-Zimbler said.
For others, like Becca Linden ’06, morale was high.
“I think it’s really awesome, a great way to make people who talk the talk, walk the walk,” Linden said. “It makes me feel really good to be doing something instead of reading headlines and worrying.”
Johnson emphasized that activism need not be overly self-righteous.
“I’ve always thought that politics shouldn’t just be about being serious, changing the world, even though that’s important,” she said. “Being active in democracy should be fun. It’s a good way to meet people who share your viewpoints and spend time with them. I think this does a good job accomplishing both.”
Brian Colgan ’08, on the other hand, took a more practical view.
“We’re paying for the free minutes, we might as well do it,” he said.
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