Seventeen students from nine area high schools accepted awards in the “Y Vote Essay and Video Contest,” sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Greater New Brunswick Area.
The league sponsored the contest with the goal of motivating young people to get involved in the political process and exercise their right to vote. Students were asked to create a persuasive essay or produce a memorable video to inspire their peer group and others to vote.
Honorable Mentions – Sri Harshita Vadapalli of Edison High School, Sarah Terracina of Metuchen High School and Karina Diaz of Bishop George Ahr High School received honorable mention in the essay contest.
“For someone like me – a girl – the right to vote is more than just the click of a button. Women fought for suffrage in the 1920s. The only ‘right’ they had back then was to find a good husband to make choices for them. The world we live in today continues to be male-dominated and the only way to change that is by going out and voting. I believe the first step in stopping the next young girl from having to say #MeToo is by having a person in office who will stand by us and support this movement,” Diaz said in a prepared statement.
In her essay, Terracina asks and answers the question, “Why vote?”
“Because you aren’t going to the same places as everyone else. Because we all know how hard it is today for those leaving our schools and entering the workforce. Because of student loans. Minimum wage. Health care. Jobs. Rent. Those you vote today can help or hurt you, not just today, but in four or five years – when it matters most. … Act now, take control of your future, and don’t let your problems lay in the hands of people whose policies you don’t even recognize. Vote,” she said.
Michele Tang of Metuchen High School placed second in the video contest.
The event was held at the Eagleton Institute of Politics on the Rutgers University Campus on Oct. 26.