Community Engagement News

Vote Early Day Rally This Friday Aimed at Increasing Student Turnout at the Polls

As part of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP), a rally to get out the vote will take place this Friday afternoon on the Miami Shores campus. The event will also mark Vote Early Day. 

October 28 is Vote Early Day, and with Election Day fast approaching, the CDP Committee is making a final push to increase student turnout at the polls.

MTV initiated Vote Early Day as a civic holiday focused on providing information to voters regarding how, where, and when they can vote early. Launched amid a global pandemic, Vote Early Day was considered critical to efforts aimed at ensuring that voters did not have to choose between their health and casting their ballot.

“There will be giveaways in exchange for pledges to vote and reviews of the ballot options,” said Dr. Sean Foreman, professor of political science and co-chair of the CDP Committee. “The idea is to have people fill out a pledge to vote card or show us they voted already; make a plan to vote in the November 8 election; or get information/voter guides about the candidates and issues, which we will provide.”

Friday’s block party-style event is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. at the Sports Pavilion, with festive activities along the walking path between the soccer field and Kolasa and Bevilacqua halls. Barry student Arnez Edwards will be the deejay, and there will be food carts.

Campus Democracy Challenge

The CDP is a nonpartisan project of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI), designed to promote civic learning and democratic engagement through voter registration, education, and mobilization.

Through the CDP, Barry continues to participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge—a national nonpartisan initiative aimed at increasing democratic engagement and full student voter participation.

Two years ago, in October 2020, President Mike Allen committed the university to full student voter registration and participation in all elections through the ALL IN Challenge.

“College students have the potential to be a powerful force in the 2022 midterms if they turn out to vote,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

The CDP Committee is reminding students that this Saturday (Oct. 29) is the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the upcoming elections. The deadline to return the vote-by-mail ballot is Election Day, November 8, at 7 p.m.

Donations from Two Collection Drives to be Distributed on Founders’ Day of Service

Two collection drives get underway today (Oct. 24) in the run-up to Barry University Founders’ Day of Service. One is a hurricane relief donation drive; the other has been organized in response to the healthcare needs of “unhoused persons” in Miami-Dade County.

The donations received through both collection drives will be delivered on Founders’ Day of Service, November 5.

In response to Hurricane Ian, disaster relief donations—particularly food items (rice and dry or canned beans) and cleaning supplies—will be collected this week and next week.

Barry’s School of Podiatric Medicine has organized a shoe collection drive, which “will benefit unhoused persons in Miami-Dade.” This project advances “the school’s long-term dedication to providing healthcare to those most in need,” a university announcement said.

Donations for both drives should be dropped into the marked collection boxes between October 24 and November 4. The boxes have been placed in the De Porres Center for Leadership and Inclusion in Thompson Hall, the ID office in the Landon Student Union, the Campus Ministry office, and the Podiatry student lounge.

The management and staff of Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is supporting Barry’s hurricane donation drive.

Founders’ Week, November 5–12, will begin with a day of service focused on the issue of homelessness in the local community. It will be the university’s fourth annual Founders’ Day of Service.

Students, faculty, staff, and alumni will honor the university’s commitment to collaborative service by participating in the collection, sorting, and delivery of donations.

On November 5, a group will deliver the disaster relief donations to a hurricane relief and recovery site managed by the Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice in Bonita Springs and to Jesus the Worker parish in Fort Myers. The donations will eventually go to “families hit hard by the storm,” the university announcement said.

That same day, the donated shoes will be delivered to Favela Miami, Camillus House, Miami Rescue Mission, Lotus House, and Chapman Partnership.

Some volunteers will serve in shelters and at other community sites that support unhoused individuals and families.

Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Florida’s southwest coast on September 28, destroying lives, homes, and businesses. Fort Myers is one of the areas hardest hit by the hurricane.

For additional information on Founders’ Day of Service, contact the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) at service@barry.edu or 305-899-3696.

University Applauds NCAA Division II Decision to Prohibit ‘Countable’ Athletic Activities on Election Day

Barry University has applauded the decision by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II to make Election Day a day off from athletic activities such as games and practices.

NCAA Division II delegates recently adopted a proposal crafted by the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that “countable athletic activities,” which include practices and games, be prohibited on Election Day.

Director of Athletics Michael (Mike) Covone shared the information with university leaders. “Via NCAA legislation that was passed, Tuesday, November 8, is NCAA DII National Civic Engagement Day,” he explained. “No NCAA Institution is permitted to have any countable related athletic activities on November 8, in support in civic engagement activities like voting and volunteering.”

Division I's SAAC recommended similar legislation, which its governance body adopted ahead of the 2020 elections.

Dr. Scott Smith, vice president for mission and student engagement, welcomed the news. He saw it as “a great opportunity” to garner support for Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP), which is focused on civic engagement, particularly in relation to voter participation.

“We are glad the NCAA is carving out space for civic and voter engagement,” said Dr. Sean Foreman, chair of the Department of History and Political Science and a co-chair of the CDP Committee.

The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) commended the NCAA Division II SAAC for its initiative and urged Barry’s student-athletes to “embrace the opportunity for civic engagement” on Election Day.

Barry is a member of NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference. The Buccaneers (“Bucs”) have won 26 national and 99 state championships.

Peace Corps Offers Student Trainee Internship Opportunities at D.C. Headquarters

The Peace Corps is offering two internship opportunities for student trainees at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The Peace Corps Internship Program and Peace Corps Internship Program (Legal) are available to students currently enrolled in accredited educational institutions.

Taylor Majher, a recruiter in the Office of Recruitment and Diversity, shared the information with Barry’s Career Development Center last week. Majher is a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in Guatemala.

The Peace Corps Internship Program trainee will “perform a variety of professional and technical duties designed to increasingly develop and apply knowledge of generally accepted principles, concepts and practices of the occupation relevant to the area of study of the trainee’s enrolled educational program.” And the Peace Corps Internship Program (Legal) trainee will “perform a variety of professional and technical duties designed to increasingly develop and apply knowledge [of] the occupation relevant to the area of study of the incumbent’s enrolled educational program.”

The Peace Corps mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals: (1) to help the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women; (2) to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served; and (3) to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

WORKSHOP: A workshop for community partners saw participants making post-pandemic connections on campus as they highlighted the needs of their organizations.

COMMUNITY I.D. PROGRAM: A Barry community partner is seeking volunteers for Miami-Dade County’s Community ID program.

ELECTION HERO DAY: The next “civic holiday” on the Campus Democracy Project calendar is Election Hero Day, November 7.