Student-Athletes Participate in RISE to Vote Seminar
9/23/2020 9:25:00 AM | General, H.A.L.L. Program
South Orange, N.J. - Last week as part of the #HALLin This TOGETHER initiative run by the H.A.L.L. Program, all of Seton Hall's student-athletes participated in a virtual seminar conducted by RISE, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. The programming is part of RISE's "RISE to Vote" campaign.
Student-athletes were first given a lesson on the history of athletes using their platform to be leaders in civic engagement, citing examples such as Muhammad Ali, Colin Kaepernick, Megan Rapinoe and Maya Moore. Then the presentation delved into the importance of voting and how it is more than just about the presidential election every four years. The seminar then followed with specifics of how to register to vote, how to vote by mail versus in person. Lastly, student-athletes were given ways to act and civically engage, including advocacy, direct action and philanthropy.
Some student-athletes gave their thoughts about voting after the seminar:
Torre Avitabile
Men's soccer sophomore from Holmdel, N.J.
"The most important thing I learned [from the RISE to Vote presentation] personally was the value of voting. A few years back if I had been asked about the value of voting individually, I didn't really realize how important it was for all of us to be doing that. It's important for us to share our voice and share our opinion, and voting is a step towards being able to do that. Everyone can make their own impact, and RISE emphasized that in showing us different situations and different ways we can make an impact as an individual."
Atley Fortney
Women's soccer senior from Charles Town, W.Va.
"We're voting for things that will affect us 10 and 20 years from now. It's not just a four-year matter. Us having a say in our futures and even our kids' futures is really important. Educating yourself and getting involved in your community are two really important ways to be civically engaged. Education is a platform for progress, and we can't really move forward unless we as individuals are educated."
Mya Jackson
Women's basketball sophomore from Wilmington, Ohio
"Maybe one vote might not matter as much, but if everyone does it, it will have a huge impact on our country. It is imperative for all of us to get registered and vote and have our families get registered to vote. I've been really interested in the process; this year will be my first year voting, and I have been trying to educate myself on the different candidates and topics."
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For more information on how you can register to vote, be sure to visit Vote.org.
For more information about RISE to Vote, visit RisetoWin.org.
Student-athletes were first given a lesson on the history of athletes using their platform to be leaders in civic engagement, citing examples such as Muhammad Ali, Colin Kaepernick, Megan Rapinoe and Maya Moore. Then the presentation delved into the importance of voting and how it is more than just about the presidential election every four years. The seminar then followed with specifics of how to register to vote, how to vote by mail versus in person. Lastly, student-athletes were given ways to act and civically engage, including advocacy, direct action and philanthropy.
Some student-athletes gave their thoughts about voting after the seminar:
Torre Avitabile
Men's soccer sophomore from Holmdel, N.J.
"The most important thing I learned [from the RISE to Vote presentation] personally was the value of voting. A few years back if I had been asked about the value of voting individually, I didn't really realize how important it was for all of us to be doing that. It's important for us to share our voice and share our opinion, and voting is a step towards being able to do that. Everyone can make their own impact, and RISE emphasized that in showing us different situations and different ways we can make an impact as an individual."
Atley Fortney
Women's soccer senior from Charles Town, W.Va.
"We're voting for things that will affect us 10 and 20 years from now. It's not just a four-year matter. Us having a say in our futures and even our kids' futures is really important. Educating yourself and getting involved in your community are two really important ways to be civically engaged. Education is a platform for progress, and we can't really move forward unless we as individuals are educated."
Mya Jackson
Women's basketball sophomore from Wilmington, Ohio
"Maybe one vote might not matter as much, but if everyone does it, it will have a huge impact on our country. It is imperative for all of us to get registered and vote and have our families get registered to vote. I've been really interested in the process; this year will be my first year voting, and I have been trying to educate myself on the different candidates and topics."
Â
For more information on how you can register to vote, be sure to visit Vote.org.
For more information about RISE to Vote, visit RisetoWin.org.
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