The Associated Students of Colorado State University convened Sept. 25 for the seventh session of the 54th senate.
Following the swearing-in of new senators and associates along with executive, legislative and judicial reports, during which each branch provided updates on their respective work and initiatives, senate discussed Lex #5414, “Update to LSAB Bylaws.” The lex will adjust the Legislative Strategy Advisory Board bylaws in the ASCSU Constitution.
The Lex passed with unanimous consent and will be sent to committees for review.
Next the election of the Accessibility Caucus chair took place. Senator Morgan Snyder was self-nominated for the position.
The Accessibility Caucus aims to promote legislation and programming to increase accessibility for all students on CSU’s campus and create a sense of community among students.
“I hope that if elected, I can bring about these goals and make a more accessible campus for all,” Snyder said.
Senator Snyder was elected with unanimous consent and, subsequently, sworn in as chair of the Accessibility Caucus.
The ratification of multiple members of the Student Fee Review Board then took place.
Moving into old business, Senate confirmed Lex #5410, “Elections Lex.” The lex aims to ensure changes made to the elections code and referendum are endorsed by those who have the expertise and authority of the judicial branch while maintaining a plurality of opinions. The lex was passed with unanimous consent.
Next senate discussed Lex #5411, “Making ASCSU Elections More Accessible for Students.” The lex aims to make ASCSU more accessible to students by adjusting the requirements for a ballot referendum, which means an amendment could be placed on a referendum with a petition that collects no less than 750 signatures.
ASCSU President Nick DeSalvo voiced his concerns regarding the lex, stating the threshold of 750 signatures is too low and could negatively impact the student body in the future.
“I really do appreciate the intention of this amendment, but I do think it comes with a lot of unintended consequences down the line that can fundamentally change how this organization is made up, and I don’t want to open ourselves up to that,” DeSalvo said. “I will be very honest, if this piece of legislation passes, I will veto it, but I hope you do consider the things I’ve pointed out tonight and take that into consideration when you vote on this.”
The senate entered a committee of the whole, allowing all senators to speak and voice their opinions on the lex. The majority of senators who spoke agreed with DeSalvo’s point — the threshold of 750 is too low.
Following discussion and a secret ballot vote in which members decided what number would work best, a compromise was eventually reached. Senate voted to amend the lex to require signatures from 5% of all ASCSU members rather than 750 signatures, or any fixed number, to allow for future fluctuations in the student body. The lex passed by way of a 9-3-6 placard vote.
Class of 2025 main commencement moved to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
USC cited the commencement’s size and experience hosting Fall 2024 Convocation and three school commencements at the Coliseum in Spring 2024 to explain the change.
Commencement for the Class of 2024 was cancelled in the spring, citing issues with security and Fall 2024 Convocation was held in the Coliseum rather than its traditional location at Alumni Park. (Daily Trojan file photo)
Commencement for the Class of 2025 will be held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on May 15, 2025, the University announced in a community-wide email Thursday. USC cited the size of the commencement and the experience hosting Fall 2024 Convocation and three school commencements at the Coliseum in Spring 2024 as reasons for the change.
“In recent years, commencement has consistently attracted more than 60,000 guests and has outgrown all venues on our campus,” the University wrote. “By hosting commencement at the Coliseum, soon to be the home of three Olympic games, we will offer a truly unique graduation experience.”
Commencement for the Class of 2024 was cancelled in the spring, citing issues with security and Fall 2024 Convocation was held in the Coliseum rather than its traditional location at Alumni Park.
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Though urban campuses like the University of Minnesota may offer fewer opportunities for students to enjoy nature, the University’s Outdoors Club offers a diverse range of events for students to get outside.
Established in 2012, the club hosts all types of outdoor activities, including an upcoming Monster Mash Family 5k on Oct. 5, to raise money for University students to go on day trips to state parks and backpacking trips. These events, as well as the monthly club meetings, are led by the Outdoors Club’s officers.
Liz Kangas, an officer for the club, said along with leading events and meetings, officers also each have responsibilities like keeping track of backpacking gear, running the club’s social media, and more.
Kangas transferred from the University of Minnesota Duluth after her freshman year and was a part of the club’s chapter there. She decided to join the club on the Twin Cities campus last fall.
“I went to one meeting and that first meeting that I was at was when they were doing recruitment for officers, and so I kind of just thought, ‘What the heck?’” Kangas said. “I didn’t think I would get it, but I kind of made myself do it. I was like, I have to branch out.”
Since joining the club and becoming an officer, Kangas said she was surprised at how well she has gotten to know the other members so quickly after only being in the group for a short time.
“That was really exciting to me that all these friends who are officers, and people through the club that have similar interests,” Kangas said. “And just share that love of being outside and playing.”
Like Kangas, fellow club officer Abi Addink was excited to find people who shared her interest in the outdoors. She added the club has a big emphasis on making the outdoors accessible.
“I remember being really nervous about going to a campus that was more urban because I wasn’t sure if there were going to be outdoorsy people there,” Addink said. “I quickly realized that I was not by myself.”
Addink said many people with little experience in outdoor activities show up to the club’s events. So, while planning events and trips can sometimes be challenging because of different skill levels, overall it is rewarding.
As an officer, Addink said there can be some challenges, but it is hard not to enjoy being in nature.
Meg Rettler, another officer for the club, said she has bonded with everyone on the trips, especially at bonfires while camping.
“Whenever there’s a trip, it’s almost inevitable that there’s gonna be some sort of campfire,” Rettler said. “It’s really fun because everyone kind of opens up around the campfire. Maybe the start of the day was a little bit awkward, but then the second we have that fire it really breaks the barriers, which is super fun.”
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Houston’s Kate Georgiades, center, waits for A&M Commerce to serve the ball during the first set of an NCAA college women’s volleyball match, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 in Houston, Texas. | Oscar Herrera/ The Cougar
The Houston volleyball team opened up conference play by claiming its first Big 12 win with a clean sweep over Kansas State on Wednesday night inside Morgan Family Arena.
The Cougars earned its second consecutive straight-set victory behind double-doubles by Graduates Angela Grieve and Annie Cooke the feat will go down in the record books as head coach David Rehr’s 650th win, his 109th with Houston.
Starting strong, the Cougars won the opening frames’ first four points to take an early lead, but the Wildcats came back to tie it at 11-11.
Houston eventually went down 20-17 but clawed its way back to even the score at 23-23 before forcing extras to win 27-25.
The match was a game of back-and-forth for the Cougars and Wildcats, seeing 27 ties, 12 coming in the third frame and 15 lead changes.
The final frame was a close one, remaining tied after 11 points. Neither team went up by more than two before Houston put together a 4-1 run to take a 23-19 lead.
The Wildcats put up a tough fight to keep the game alive and nearly succeeded, but the Cougars ended all hope of a comeback and clinched the set 25-23.
Grieve led the team in kills with 14 and added 10 digs; she now leads the team in double-doubles with four.
Cooke put up 19 assists and 10 digs to help secure the win. Graduate libero Kate Georgiades continued outstanding play, keeping her streak of double-digit dig performances with a team-high of 12.
Up next, Houston will close out its first week of conference play with a face-off against No. 9 Kansas on Friday, Sept 27.
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,” the First Amendment of the United States Constitution reads. As a public institution, Colorado State University is bound by the First Amendment to uphold the right to free speech for all students.
“CSU is required by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to have an open exchange of ideas and dissenting points of view, even when such expression might be deemed offensive and runs counter to our Principles of Community or other institutional values,” the university’s statement on freedom of speech reads.
However, free speech is not a blanket statement protecting expression, and rules and policies are still in place, guiding the freedom of expression of students and community members on campus. Over the last year, campus and community members expressed dissatisfaction with CSU’s response to protests and public forums.
In 2017, the Colorado General Assembly passed SB17-062, “Student Free Speech Public Higher Education Campuses,” a statewide initiative prohibiting institutions of higher education from restricting expression in student forums.
The initiative prohibits universities from taking disciplinary action against students for their expression and also prohibits universities from designating “free speech zones,” which confine free speech to specific areas of campus.
Colorado State University’s freedom of speech policies establish the Lory Student Center Plaza as the public forum “traditionally” utilized for expressing free speech and assembly. While The Plaza is the most common example of a public forum at CSU, outdoor spaces across campus are public as well. Nonpublic areas include “classrooms, residence halls, academic and administration buildings, research facilities and limited-access facilities,” according to a university-provided definition used in the policy.
In March, growing national discussions around how institutions of higher education handle freedom of speech, especially concerning the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, prompted a CSU professor to investigate free speech policies.
“Some of the things that I was concerned with was that there weren’t places within the university for people to be able to anonymously put up posters and other forms of communication,” said the professor, who wished to remain anonymous. “One of the only public places … were the outdoor bulletin boards on (the Andrew G. Clark Building). And to my knowledge, there’s zero indoor spaces that are equivalent to that.”
According to CSU’s policy on signs, posters, banners and flyers, indoor spaces are not designated public forums.
“It is prohibited to post any sign, temporary sign, poster, banner, yard sign or similar item on university property without official permission, except as expressly provided in this policy,” the first policy provision reads.
All posters must be sponsored by official University entities and removed by a displayed expiration date.
“The only outdoor areas approved for posters are the poster frames and bulletin boards on the Clark Building’s exterior walls and columns,” reads the policy, which was revised Feb. 10, 2023. Clark renovations were announced May 6, 2022.
An array of flyers hang from a bulletin board outside of the C Wing of the Andrew G. Clark Building Feb. 2, 2022. (The Collegian | Avery Coates)
“Clark is being torn down, so those outdoor spaces are now eliminated,” the professor said. “So the university has gone from limited outdoor posting spaces to basically none, which is hugely problematic for people that want to express themselves anonymously.”
FIRE sent a letter to CSU expressing dissatisfaction with the policy and explained how it places unreasonable restrictions on freedom of expression and provided suggestions for amending the policy.
“If a student is not already part of a registered organization, they must create one before having access to bulletin boards, which may be a monthslong process,” reads the letter, which was obtained by The Collegian.
According to FIRE, the group never received a response from CSU.
“This sort of bulletin word message is sort of this last frontier — this last way that people are able to get a message out to everybody on campus, not just people in their own network,” said Laura Beltz, director of policy reform at FIRE and the author of the letter. “So I have concerns about that avenue for expression being totally shut down.”
Part of the university’s concern with restrictions is the legitimacy of anonymous postings and the potential of posts from individuals not connected to CSU.
“This isn’t a sort of all-or-nothing scenario where they have to put this heavy-handed policy in place,” Beltz said. “They can reach that by saying something like, ‘All right, the only places where you can post with anonymity are these designated bulletin boards in the student union that you know affiliated individuals can’t get to.’”
As for the professor who contacted FIRE, they said they hope that as a new school year starts, CSU will be motivated to modify their policies, especially surrounding the demolition of Clark and what it means for students who wish to exercise their freedom of speech.
“I expected that this is, like, such low-hanging fruit that the university would take it on and make the change, especially given all the posturing around democracy … (and) free speech, that this is just … an easy thing to take care of,” the professor said. “And so I’ve been honestly a little bit disappointed that they didn’t reply to this letter from FIRE, and I hope that they take this opportunity now to make appropriate changes.”
The CSU Division of University Marketing and Communications clarified that students may hand out flyers on campus.
On the morning of Sept. 11, undocumented students at CSU zip-tied a banner reading, “Our place in higher education is a right, not a privilege,” to The Stump on The Plaza. The banner features a chain, which was attached to The Stump as well.
The Stump has been on campus since 1964 and is the established campus symbol of free speech. In fact, No. 18 on the list of 70 things for CSU students to do before graduation is to make a statement on The Stump.
A banner reading, “Our presence in higher education is a right, not a privilege,” is placed at a table at the Wellness Wonderland event hosted by the Associated Students of Colorado State University Sept. 20. The banner, which had previously been removed from The Plaza Sept. 11, is an anonymous form of protest from undocumented CSU students. (The Collegian | Allie Seibel)
Associated Students of CSU Sen. Vladimir Lora Pardo said the banner was removed within two hours.
Speaking with other individuals tabling on The Plaza that morning, Pardo learned that an LSC employee took the banner down.
“It was a form of protesting with being heard but not being seen because undocumented students have to protect their identity because they can be deported if they speak out on … things like that,” Pardo said. “So that was kind of a way … of saying that they wanted to be heard but not be seen.”
Pardo, who said he advocates for CSU’s 136 undocumented students, had conversations with ASCSU leadership about how to better support anonymous voices in protesting.
“This is incredibly harmful because historically, we have always been silenced,” Pardo said. “We are always told to keep our undocumented identity private. (The banner) was them asking for resources. This was them asking for support from the university.”
The banner was removed that morning because it was physically attached to The Stump. This display violated the rule that “no sign, poster or banner of any kind may be affixed to a tree,” the fourth policy provision reads.
“The university takes a lot of pride in supporting undocumented students,” Pardo said. “The university takes a lot of pride in being diverse and being supportive. Where’s that pride and diversity? Where is that support system that we need right now?”
There has also been discontent surrounding the administration’s implementation of time, place and manner restrictions, particularly regarding protests for Palestine that took place last spring.
“In my experience on campus, there definitely has been speech that has been monitored or taken down. (CSU administration) do not believe that speech should be free, and … they truly believe that speech should embolden the university and should make them look good.” –Ella Smith, CSU student
A sign alerting that camping is prohibited on Colorado State University’s campus sits on the Lory Student Center Plaza May 1. The demonstration by Students for Justice in Palestine ended at 7 p.m. to not illegally camp on The Plaza. (The Collegian | Allie Seibel)
SB17-062 prohibits universities from restricting time, place and manner of speech without justifiable reason to do so. However, due to the influx of violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement nationwide, such time, place and manner restrictions on protests at CSU were considered justifiable.
As such, student protesters had to vacate The Plaza from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., according to the CSU policy on events not permitted outside public hours.
“We do have to acknowledge that the way that CSU approaches these different protests is very different,” CSU student Ella Smith said. “While we do appreciate that CSU did not call SWAT teams on students who were protesting, we also acknowledged that that was because the students who were protesting were very careful … because of the extraordinary amounts of violence we saw across the country.”
Smith actively engaged with the university during many of these protests, including hand-delivering a letter to the Office of the President in April. The letter was written by the CSU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which Smith is an active member of.
“In my experience on campus, there definitely has been speech that has been monitored or taken down,” Smith said. “(CSU administration) do not believe that speech should be free, and … they truly believe that speech should embolden the university and should make them look good.”
The letter delivery was followed by a meeting with President Amy Parsons, which Smith said was “for publicity.” The meeting was described by Smith as a political panel in which Parsons met with and was continuing to meet with “various student groups,” as stated in an Instagram post.
“I felt that she was simply trying to use it as a publicity stunt and trying to essentially imply that she, as the president of the university, was going to do the best thing possible for all students,” Smith said.
CSU’s thematic Year of Democracy has been an effort to engage the student body in areas of democracy and civic engagement through the Types of Democracy and Principles of Democracy. The thematic year has featured guest speakers, events and panels designed to teach students about democracy.
“I view myself as a patriot, and to be a patriot, you have to want things to be better,” Smith said. “And so that’s what I want for CSU. … I think that the Year of Democracy is a great idea. However, I do not believe that it can exist within the current system that CSU operates under.”
Claire Kopp recently obtained her Ph.D. from CSU. In March, she and two other Fort Collins residents glued their hands to the wall of the City Council chamber in a symbolic gesture advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Following the charges brought forth by the demonstration, CSU’s disciplinary conduct process did not allow Kopp to register for courses. At the time, all her credits were completed and she obtained her degree, so it became “a very happy accident,” she said.
“I definitely feel like conversations at CSU around Palestine in particular are very shut down,” Kopp said. “There’s a much heavier suppression of this conversation than any that I’ve ever experienced before in the … 30 years that I’ve been a part of this community.”
As the thematic Year of Democracy continues, university leadership at the student and administrative levels continues to educate students on policies governing both free speech and hate speech.
“It’s difficult to balance the interest of students who might be harmed by (hate) speech but also creating an environment where First Amendment protection is respected,” ASCSU President Nick DeSalvo said. “Understand that just because someone is there espousing their beliefs doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily sanctioned by the university or any university entity.”
DeSalvo said it’s important to understand that there may be consequences for hateful speech, and campus community members should educate themselves on the right to self-expression, particularly on CSU’s campus.
“The university has done a really good job communicating that to people who want to exercise their First Amendment rights,” DeSalvo said. “There’s just that mutual understanding. … And no matter what your message is, we’re going to allow you to do that within these certain parameters.”
Information on the First Amendment at CSU highlights the importance of peaceful protest and making student voices heard.
“CSU unequivocally supports the right of all students to engage in free speech and assemble peacefully in accordance with the university’s free speech policy,” the university said in a statement to The Collegian. They directed students to the Policy Library for further details.
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Boston University Blue Light Emergency Phones were restored to service after being inoperable since Sept. 13., according to a BU Alert sent on Sept. 19. BU Spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email to the Daily Free Press that 15 of the 150 Blue Light boxes were out of order during this time period. The inoperable boxes were wrapped in plastic with the blue light turned off, according to Riley. The BU Police Department increased patrols in the affected areas during the outage, Riley wrote. “There were no security concerns that resulted from having 10 percent of the Blue Light […]
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Every young man in the Colorado State University Rams football program dreams of playing in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1943, NFL teams have drafted over 100 CSU Rams to their rosters, including Gary Glick, who remains the only defensive back to be selected first overall in the NFL Draft (1956). The following five former Rams are among the most famous in the program’s history, each revered by supporters to this day.
Jack Christiansen
Anyone who knows about CSU football knows Jack Christiansen had to be featured in this article. The word legend is banded around in football circles too freely, but Christiansen is worthy of such an accolade. Having been raised as an orphan at the Odd Fellows Orphanage, Christiansen attended Colorado A&M, where he excelled as a sportsman, graduating in 1951.
Christiansen played professional football long before the best Colorado online sports betting apps were developed. He made his NFL debut in 1951, having been drafted 69th overall by the Detroit Lions. During his illustrious career, he became a three-time NFL champion, six-time First-Team All-Pro, and led the NFL in interceptions twice before turning his hand to coaching.
The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame inducted Christiansen in 1967, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducting him in 1970. Following his sad passing in June 1986 at the age of only 57, the Colorado State University Hall of Fame posthumously inducted Christiansen in 1988.
Joey Porter
Joey Porter began his CSU Rams career as an H-back before switching to a linebacker during his junior year. The positional switch went amazingly well, with Porter recording 22 career sacks in two seasons, including a school single-season record-tying 15 sacks for 63 yards lost during his senior season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Porter 73rd overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He spent eight seasons with the Steelers, including winning the Super Bowl in 2005. After spells with the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals, Porter signed a one-day contract with the Steelers in August 2012 to retire as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Porter recorded 689 tackles (516 solo), 98 sacks, 25 forced fumbles, and 12 interceptions over 188 games. He returned to CSU in 2013 as part of the Rams’ coaching staff.
Michael Gallup
Michael Gallup initially played college football for Butler Community College before transferring to CSU in 2016. He finished his CSU career with 2,690 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns across 26 games and is still the only CSU player to catch three or more touchdowns in a single game three times.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Gallup as the 81st overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He ended his rookie season with 507 yards and two touchdowns from 33 receptions.
Gallup kicked on in the 2019 season, scoring six receiving touchdowns and 1,107 yards from 66 receptions, all career-highs. Just as he was cementing his place in the Cowboys’ starting line-up, Gallup missed eight games with a calf injury before tearing his ACL during the final game of the 2021 season.
Gallup recovered from his ACL tear and signed a five-year, $62.5 million extension with the Cowboys, but he struggled to recapture the form he enjoyed before his knee injury. In April 2024, Gallup put pen to paper on a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he announced his retirement from professional football less than two months later.
His story shows that footballers must make the most of their careers because you never know what lies around the corner.
Shaquil Barrett
Shaquil Barrett made himself eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft after an impressive CSU career that saw him record 246 tackles, 18 sacks, 32.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions in 35 starts for the Rams. After being named Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, Barrett had every right to enter the NFL Draft full of confidence. However, Barrett went undrafted.
The Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers approached Barrett as an undrafted free agent, with Barrett opting to sign with the Broncos. Although he did not play a single minute as a rookie, Barrett was part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2015. After struggling to force his way into the Broncos’ starting line-up, Barrett joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2019.
Barrett became a starting linebacker for the Bucs and won his second Super Bowl ring during his second season in Tampa. Disaster struck in 2022 when Barrett tore his Achilles tendon during Week 8. He recovered and started 16 games in 2023, but the Buccaneers released him during the postseason. He signed with the Miami Dolphins five days later but called time on his NFL career in July, citing he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Garrett Grayson
Every football fan knows there is a massive jump in skills from collegiate football to the NFL. Some players navigate that chasm with relative ease, others not so much. Take Garrett Grayson as an example. Grayson finished a four-year stint with CSU with almost every passing record to his name, including an impressive 9,190 yards. The New Orleans Saints selected Garrett as the 75th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, with sources stating he would become heir apparent to Drew Brees.
Unfortunately, despite his impressive college numbers, professional football didn’t work out for Grayson. The Saints waived him in 2017, and Grayson joined the Atlanta Falcons, but he was waived again 11 months later. He then signed for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) but left to sign for the Denver Broncos before the season started. The Bronco waived Grayson seven months later, and he stepped away from professional football in August 2019 despite apparent interest from the Atlanta Falcons.
Grayson is a legendary CSU quarterback, but his story shows the importance of studying hard for a life away from football because, sometimes, things do not click into place as you may have expected them to.
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This story is published as part of U.S. Democracy Day and the Utah College Media Collaborative, a cross-campus project bringing together emerging journalists from Salt Lake Community College, the University of Utah, Utah State University and Utah Tech University.
With the historicity of this year’s presidential election in mind, it is important for first-time voters and other younger voters to know where to vote and how voting works in Utah.
A few students at Salt Lake Community College have expressed that they feel well-educated on the process of registering and voting, even though some research and sentiments claim that first-time voters and other college-aged voters can occasionally be underinformed about the process of voting.
Philipe Garcia, an anthropology student at SLCC, said registering was something he was unfamiliar with. He said he only became registered through the luck of needing to renew his driver’s license, which allowed him to update his voter status.
“I personally don’t really know how to do it,” Garcia said. “I am [now] advocating for workshops to give people the opportunity.”
Barriers to voting
One barrier young voters have reportedly faced during election season is a lack of information regarding deadlines to register.
Data from Tufts University’s CIRCLE, or Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, states that 21% of young people who didn’t vote in 2022 said they didn’t know enough about the candidates or the voting process. Nine percent of voters who didn’t cast a ballot last time “had problems with in-person voting or their absentee ballot.”
Out-of-state voting via absentee ballot thus confuses some first-timers. As stated in the “voting as a student” section of vote.gov, voter registration is tied to where a person lives, so a student can choose to vote in either their hometown or their college town.
Factors that affect this decision may include whether a student’s hometown has different local issues on the ballot than their college town, as well as possible differences in the candidates and seats up for election.
If a student plans to vote in their college town, updating their registration address is important. Students do not necessarily need to cancel their registration first, but cancelling and re-registering within the college town might aid local election officials.
Another barrier some voters could face involves submitting ballots. In 2022, according to a CIRCLE survey, 32% of voters mailed in their ballot, compared to 27% who used a mail-in ballot in 2020.
The same CIRCLE survey determined that some youth may have chosen not to participate in voting because they were counting on the ease of drop-off at ballot box locations; some states implemented restrictions on voting times and polling places.
In Utah, mail-in ballots are sent to voters from Oct. 15 through Oct. 29. To send them back, a ballot must be postmarked before Nov. 4, the day before Election Day, or dropped off at a ballot box before 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.
If a voter’s ballot does not arrive shortly after the scheduled mailing dates and the voter plans to participate in this year’s election, the voter may need to contact their designated elections clerk, or else, plan to vote in person.
Another barrier to voting for college students, however, is more political, and has to do with the federal election system itself.
There are reported worries about the Electoral College among young voters. The US voting system is a shared concern among some students at SLCC — influencing and even becoming the deciding factor if they choose to vote at all this election season.
“I hope it actually makes an impact,” Aria Kelson, a student at SLCC, said while describing her nervousness about the Electoral College. Regardless, Kelson said she is still excited to participate and have a voice in the presidential election.
Krystyna Cooper, a criminal justice major at SLCC, shared similar concerns. She said that the Electoral College’s existence has swayed her away from voting in the past.
“If it was truly up to the people — truly, strictly up to the people — then I would vote,” Cooper said.
Garcia also shared thoughts on this year’s presidential candidates, saying he doesn’t believe either one to be a “best” option for him. Garcia said he has decided to vote at the local level and opt out of the federal section of the ballot.
“[The presidential candidates] wouldn’t be representative of what I am or what I want,” Garcia said, adding that neither popular political party is appealing this year.
“I feel like I am more likely to find that [adequate representation] at a local level, comparatively,” Garcia continued. He finished by expressing that voting and participating in the US democracy is still important to him.
Voting processes in Utah
The last day to register to vote in the 2024 election is Oct. 25, while in-person registration has a deadline of Nov. 5, meaning that you can register at a polling station. Regardless of opinions on the candidates for president or the Electoral College, there are many resources available to assist first-time or otherwise younger or underinformed voters.
Vote.utah.gov has information on registering to vote, mail-in ballots and how to find information on other candidates that will appear on the ballot besides the presidential nominees.
To begin the online registration process, the state’s voter information website allows an individual to check their registration status, update their voter information or cancel voter registration. Those registering will be prompted to fill out their physical address, mailing address, driver’s license, social security number and birth information. Residency details will be required for those working in the military or study abroad students.
Lastly, those registering may specify a political party affiliation, but the deadline to choose a party in Utah, which determines the primary election ballot a voter receives, occurred in January.
While registering online is one option, in-person registration may also be available through a Department of Motor Vehicles, a local elections office such as a county clerk or by mail with a National Mail Voter Registration Form.
On Election Day, various polling stations, determined by the county one resides in, will be open to constituents. Polling stations can usually be found at city halls, libraries and local school district buildings.
Voters can find a more detailed look at the nearest polling station in each area of Salt Lake County by visiting the Election Day Vote Centers map, which is provided by the Salt Lake County clerk’s office.
It is imperative to remember that if a resident chooses to vote in person, a valid ID will be required.
Helping students vote
SLCC provides resources to assist first-time voters and those who feel underinformed on the voting process in the slate of events known as “SLCC Votes.”
“SLCC Votes” events, hosted at the college’s Thayne Center, will include National Voter Registration Day and National Voter Education Week, both of which help students prepare for elections by teaching them about their ballots and how to make a voting plan. The goal of the events is also to inspire students to vote in the first place, according to the website.
Election season events at the center will culminate in an Election Day celebration, where students can watch and partake in festivities as votes are tallied up around the country.
Savannah O’Sickey, student event coordinator for the Thayne Center at SLCC, said that part of the reason the “SLCC Votes” events are being held is to inspire and engage students in the voting process.
“Students play a really important role in elections. By voting we have the power to say who’s in charge of creating policy and what issues are on the table,” O’Sickey explained.
“Making sure students feel empowered to vote is our focus, but [it’s] also making sure they feel like voting is an easy process,” she continued.
Aside from increasing voter engagement and helping young voters find ease in the process, O’Sickey said the center also tries to make sure students who may be unable to vote still feel engaged and their voices heard.
Learning how to write to a politician, create change on campus, and easing the voting process are all concepts that are encapsulated and explored in the “SLCC Votes” events.
“A campus exists as a space to support students not just in their school, but in their life,” O’Sickey said. “Voting is a right for everyone [and] having the tools to empower students to vote creates a thriving environment”
If a student is unable to make any or all of the events, however, the O’Sickey said the center is now trying to become a “one-stop shop” for students by always making voting resources available.
Outside the “SLCC Votes” events, students can stop by the Thayne Center at any time between now and election day to pick up a registration form or receive help with the registration process. The Center also provides stamps and envelopes for mail-in ballots and registration forms.
A seamless voting experience is the center’s goal and may make a difference if even one student feels their voice is heard in this historic 2024 presidential election.
Ashley Orduna reported and wrote this story as a student with Salt Lake Community College’s The Globe. Her article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
On Sept. 24, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office and the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles announced that they had identified a total of 1,259 possible non-citizens that had been mistakenly registered to vote.
This comes nearly two weeks after the Oregon Secretary of State’s office announced that they had identified 306 people who had been similarly improperly registered. The state said that these people had been improperly registered due to clerical errors by DMV staff.
Ever since January of 2016, US-Citizens who are also Oregon residents have been automatically registered to vote in the state upon being issued a driver’s license — this was known as the Oregon Motor Voter law.
In 2021, Democratic lawmakers passed a law that permitted undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license without proof of legal residence. It is suspected that DMV staff mistakenly registered foreign passports and birth certificates as U.S. identification, thus allowing for the error to take place.
State officials said that the 2021 law created an opportunity in the system for non-citizens to become registered voters.
35 of the non-citizens registered to vote were eligible to vote in Lane County. After an audit, Lane County Elections confirmed that one mistakenly registered non-citizen voted in Lane County.
The DMV and Oregon Secretary of State’s office are taking action to fix the error. They have deactivated all of the identified improperly registered voters and alerted them of the error. The DMV will not require a more thorough identification process be completed when applying for a driver’s license in addition to other process changes aimed at preventing future errors.
Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valadesaid that the error will have no impact on the 2024 general election.
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