If you picked up Pipe Dream’s summer issue on campus in July or August, or are an avid online reader, you may have seen my column titled, “Binghamton students should register to vote locally.” In the piece, I urged incoming freshmen as well as returning and transfer students to either register or re-register to vote in local Broome County elections.
I argued that Binghamton University students, although only residents for a few years at a time, are residents all the same. College students are in somewhat of a nebulous state. Most live in one place for about eight months of the year, return home for weeks at various intervals, and may or may not be insulated from their surrounding region by physical or ideological boundaries. The only way to combat the stereotype of the apathetic college student and bridge the University-community divides, I wrote, is to become actively integrated into the community and take pride in playing your part as a voting member of it.
However, filling out a registration form and checking off a few ballot boxes in November will go nowhere toward building a more connected community among local residents and BU students. The divides that exist can only be repaired if students take the time to learn about what truly matters to the community.
In the months preceding the presidential elections, it is fairly easy to be swept up in the storm of links, articles and news reports about national campaigns. There is no doubt that the elections will be high-stakes this November, yet, national media outlets tend to distract us from and diminish the importance of local politics.
A common complaint in this political cycle is that people feel disillusioned with democracy and powerless to make any substantial change. This is partially due the fact that many fail to recognize the impact of those who hold local office. Political change happens from the bottom up, with localized decisions influencing district-wide and state policies, and subsequently national legislation.
So, if you really want to impact society and create change, focus on the actions of your state senators, mayors and governors. Don’t let the media fool you into thinking Congress and the White House are the only places where progress is made. The first step in doing this is to actually learn what’s going on in your area. Don’t worry, though: there are easy ways to prepare yourself.
On Thursday, Sept. 15, there will be a public forum at Tabernacle United Methodist Church on Main Street in the city of Binghamton. Multiple candidates for the position of state senator, assemblyperson and county executive will be present. The following week on Monday, Sept. 19 there will be another forum at the Vestal Public Library, featuring Claudia Tenney, who is running for national Congress, among other local candidates.
If you cannot make the forums in person, there are even easier ways to stay updated on local politics and affairs. Turning on a local news channel for even a few minutes every day will go far in building your understanding of the area. Liking and following regional news outlets such as the Press & Sun-Bulletin, WBNG and Binghamton Homepage on social media is a simple way to incorporate local headlines and articles into your daily routine. A few clicks will go a long way to diversifying your newsfeeds from the usual Trump and Clinton stories and vacation photos.
BU is a school that prides itself on its ability to create social change. Last week, President Harvey Stenger touted this aspect of BU in his State of the University address. He also spoke of a new period of collaboration in the University’s story, as it continues to expand and interact with the surrounding community in novel ways.
Stenger hopes to guide the school through this uncharted territory with his Road Map to Success plan that he is opening up to students, faculty and community members alike to help develop. Hopefully, this plan will connect college pupils and full-time residents in productive and progressive ways.
However, this can only be accomplished when students are invested in understanding and participating in the community which they are a part of. Taking the small amount of time it takes to read a WBNG article, watching the local news over breakfast or going to a forum will enable you to enact change where it really matters.
Caleb Schwartz is a sophomore double-majoring in political science and environmental studies.