Katherine Twombly ’30
News Editor
Tuesday, Nov. 3 was the date of the current administration’s Midterm Elections, which received more attention than many previous elections due to the publicity of candidates and events, as well as the speculated implications of each seat. The importance of civic participation, specifically voting, has been a major focus of the College community in recent years. Much of this emphasis has been coordinated by the Students Promoting Expression, Empathy, and Civic Harmony (SPEECH) group on campus. Prior to the election, there were many voting tables around campus in order to help students figure out when and where to vote or how to request an absentee ballot. These were available for the purpose of promoting voting and garnering interest in government decisions across all parties.
Given the greater discussion and interest in this year’s midterm elections, SPEECH organized an event called Election Night Live on the night of Election Day, when students could come and learn more about the elections while watching with friends. The event included trivia, polling games, and live coverage across networks to draw interest and make sure there was bipartisan information available. The event took place at Crossroads Grill, and there was also food provided for all who stopped by, which encouraged people to stick around and get involved in the event. The fun and casual nature of this event allowed students to track the important event and discuss it with friends while in a designated space that created a communal atmosphere.
SPEECH Peer Educator Olivia Hamilton ’30 also commented on the importance of holding events like these. “Election Night Live was such a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Holy Cross community, making election coverage fun and engaging!” Bringing the community together on occasions that may be more divisive or controversial is valuable. People are able to get along and enjoy themselves, even if they are not hoping for the same results. Olivia expressed, “these kinds of events are great because they encourage civic participation and discussion, no matter what side of the aisle you come from.”
While these events are not entirely unique to Holy Cross, such a strong emphasis on united participation and collaboration of those across different political systems is a special aspect of this community. This unprompted cooperation amongst students themselves is also impressive given the divided nature of the country at this time. However, the results of the election itself were largely regarded as a widespread desire of Americans across the country for a political shift towards a more receptive and constituent-focused government and administration, particularly in the states themselves. The coverage at Election Night Live was not biased towards any party specifically. Still, the greater-than-expected number of seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives that flipped was a large subject of discussion amongst attendees and gave the event a special significance given the historic nature of the election itself.
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