Chron TV Host Adriah Hedrick and Producer Ali Brenneman report on the “Rev Up the Vote” event hosted by Columbia Votes and Student Diversity and Inclusion.
The event aimed to get students pumped up about voting and to be leaders in their social and academic circles in regard to the election. To do this, they brought in Columbia alum and Commissioner at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Precious Brady-Davis for a Q&A.
“Rev Up the Vote” also featured discussions with voting professionals in small groups, student performances, and catered food.
TRANSCRIPT
0:05: With just 27 days left,
0:07: Columbia students are getting excited for the presidential election here at the Rev Up the Vote event.
0:12: So far this evening, attendees have experienced an occasion of civic joy and engagement put on by Columbia Votes.
0:18: Students of all majors and backgrounds have gathered here in the Student Center for hands-on voting education, student entertainment and catered food.
0:26: The atmosphere was solid.
0:29: I thought it was a lot more personal than I thought it was going to be. Because we got the tables over there all sat down, you know, and it felt like a lot more close and tight knit rather than, you know, just like a bunch of people telling you to vote on the stage.
0:44: Attendees got to hear commissioner at the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Columbia alumni
0:50: Precious Brady-Davis answer questions prompted by Columbia Votes representatives, as well as questions from the audience.
0:57: Through her answers, Brady-Davis shared her story as a Black trans woman in American politics, what she advocates for and how her experiences have shaped who she is.
1:06: It’s so wild to come back so many years later.
1:12: Yeah, I don’t think this is what I would have been doing.
1:15: I thought that I would be performing on stages, but here I get to come back as the commissioner and I think that’s one of the great joys of Columbia.
1:28: You never know where your journey is going to take you.
1:32: And I think I learned that here.
1:34: And so I’m, I’m glad to be back.
1:37: Oh, I loved it. I love, I, I just, I love seeing, she doesn’t look like me, but I’m trans,
1:44: So I think it’s very important for me and for other trans people to see trans adults in positions of power like that and seeing people that are like actually doing the damn thing.
1:54: It’s really inspirational and really cool to see something like that.
1:57: After an event of growing learning and civic engagement, Columbia students are taking away a fresh perspective into the next month up until the presidential election.
2:07: Adriah Hedrick, Chronicle TV News.
