Making Change at Carleton
In which Greta describes how Carls are engaging in social justice and political activism this fall!
In which Greta describes how Carls are engaging in social justice and political activism this fall!
So far this term, I’ve written lots about the Carleton bubble: COVID precautions, classes, and how we’re still having fun. But, this term more than ever, Carls are also tuned into the world outside of our campus, and we’re working to make it a better place.
Voting
I’m a board member of Carleton Democrats and a leader within the newly formed climate activist group Sunrise Carleton. So my main priority this fall is to help every eligible Carleton student VOTE!
Here’s me with my mail-in ballot before I filled it out…
…and with my roommate outside Northfield City Hall before we turned them in!
One of my favorite CarlDems activities is leading socially distant groups of Carls to the polls. Many of them are voting for the first time, and it feels great to go along!
Reminding other people about voting!
The work doesn’t stop there. CarlDems and Sunrise are each also hosting friendbanks (where we text our friends about voting!), phonebanks (where we call voters across MN), and postcarding (where we notes to voters in our district and other swing states). In my opinion, outdoor postcard parties are especially SO fun!
There are dozens of events each week that Carls can attend. But some of them are extra special. On a virtual phonebank, I got to meet Adam Scott, who played Ben Wyatt on the show Parks and Recreation!!! (Fun fact: Ben Wyatt is my favorite fictional Carleton alum.)
And then, just a week later, ELIZABETH WARREN came to Northfield for a Biden/Harris event!!!
Dreams DO come true! Don’t believe me?
Black Lives Matter
Of course, the work doesn’t stop with voting. Since June, Black Carls have been leading the way in protesting anti-Black violence and establishing an anti-racist campus. The Ujamaa Collective has published a list of demands that they’re pushing the administration to adopt.
This fall, a new organization called Black Student Athletes of Carleton led a march against racism into Northfield. I was so excited to be one of about 1,000 students (that’s 2/3 of Carleton’s on-campus population this term!) who masked up and showed up wearing all black that day.
There’s still so much work to be done, but the march showed that so many Carls are ready to make change.
In 2020 and beyond, there are countless opportunities to speak out as a Carleton student. Check them out on our student organizations website!
If you’re still curious about activism and civic engagement at Carleton, feel free to email me at hardyg@carleton.edu! I’d be more than happy to tell you everything I know 🙂
Greta is a proud Vermonter who is nevertheless so excited to be back at Carleton this fall! She’s making it through the pandemic by writing constantly, playing piano, and spending time outdoors. Then eating lots of chocolate. She wants to learn everything, but is particularly interested in Sociology/Anthropology, American Studies and, of course, English. Meet the other bloggers!