This beautifully written piece by freelancer Jessica Blatt Press talks about the major, campus-wide, nonpartisan effort that was undertaken at the University of Tampa to get students registered to vote, and to the polls. The year 2020 was, of course, one of the most politically divisive years in history, and our state of Florida is one of the most politically divided states, so this was a topic that was on everyone's minds—and it was also a topic that had to be handled very delicately, so as not to insult either side of the aisle.
The narrative focuses on UT's ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Coalition, made up of students, staff, faculty, alumni, and a member of the county's Supervisor of Elections office. It highlights the passion of the coalition leaders—Mary Anderson, political science professor, and Ian McGinnity, director of the Office of Student Leadership and engagement. It includes sidebars on an alumnus who led a fun and engaging Instagram campaign, an alumnus who got the polling location moved closer to campus, and a student who is UT's supervisor of elections and helped many students register in person. It also contains a bar graph showing how many students registered to vote and voted over the last eight years.
Over eight pages, Press weaves together lots of complex information into one compelling narrative that informs, inspires and delights.
From the Judges
Excellent take on the topic of the day: voting. Well-researched and edited. Good work walking a tight line here on a sensitive subject today.
