On November 16, Hampton Bays High School seniors Emma Downs and Rieve Nydegger attended a League of Women Voters conference called Running and Winning.
The conference was held in Watermill Community House and consisted of keynote speakers, politicians, and student interaction.
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization. It has a local branch in the Hamptons, North Fork, and Shelter Island. According to the League of Women Voters their goal is to, “Inform active participation in government, work to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influence public policy through education and advocacy.”
At the conference, Downs, Nydegger, and social studies teacher Mrs. Kelsh met with different school districts from throughout Long Island. Upon entering the conference Mrs. Kelsh described the atmosphere as enthusiastic and eager: “Everyone wanted to learn.”
Throughout the Running and Winning conference, different topics were discussed such as how and why politicians decide to run. How to make students more engaged in the democratic process was also discussed. Mrs. Kelsh said a key point the event was, “The importance of the youth vote and how important it is to be engaged in government.”
At the event, students were able to interview political leaders and officials from the Town of Southampton. There were workshops and keynote speakers who gave talks to the students about the importance of becoming more involved in voting.
The overall experience was refreshing for Downs and Nydegger as they got to meet new people and gain new perspectives about the political process. “I learned a lot about politics in local government and it made me feel good about the care that people put into our local area,” Nydegger commented.
Having students involved in the democratic process enables them to be further educated to be an active citizen and participate in events like the one Rieve, Emma, and Mrs. Kelsh attended.
