As Dickinsonians, we are a part of the Carlisle community. We go to the same restaurants, shop at the same stores and rest our heads at the end of the night in the same town. We are as intrinsic to this community as any other citizen here. That is part of why this college has had a long and storied history of student involvement in civic affairs. It is up to us now to continue that tradition, and I argue it is more important now than ever to continue this tradition.
While the 2024 presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is incredibly exciting, we must not forget that neitherof them will make decisions about the town, county and state we go to school in. That is up to our state representatives, senators, borough council members and governor. For instance, when you are crossing the street to go to a class and almost get hit by a car. One of the first thoughts you may be thinking is “Why wouldn’t somebody do something about this?” Well, some people do want to do something about it, and they are the people elected to the borough council. This is why it is so important to research the candidates who are running for these positions, as some of them may not want to fix the issue, but others will, and you should at least vote for the people who are going to help you and your classmates.
As Dickinsonians, we have more power than just voting. There is more we can do. We are a school of over 2,000 young and passionate people, who can go out and promote the candidates they believe will make a difference. There is proof of this working within our local community. When interviewing the President of College Democrats, Ryan Bergh Thies ’25, he told me that his organization’s community outreach effort was a big part of why in 2023 the School Board’s democratically aligned candidates had ended up having a majority. This should be a calling to all Dickinsonians as if you agree with the party ideals, you have a chance to make a real impact.
Outside of getting involved, it is important to educate yourself on the candidates running in the area. Recently, we had a candidate, Rick Christie, for state representative visit Dickinson. This was a fruitful conversation for not only the Dickinson community but also for Christie himself. Having these conversations with candidates is essential as we can bring our perspectives as Dickinsonians into the work they will do for the community.
At Dickinson, it is incredibly easy to get involved civically in your community, with organizations such as Dickinson Votes, the Center for Civic Learning and Action, the College Democrats and Republicans, and many other organizations. The resources and opportunities are there for us as a college community to get engaged. So all we have to do is find the right time to do it, and that time is now.
