The election is tomorrow. Within the next 48 hours, we will know the next President of the United States. And every vote counts.
Last week, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Mary Loeffelholz sent out an e-mail to faculty forbidding them to cancel classes in order for students to vote. According to the e-mail, it is not “appropriate” to cancel classes for the purpose of voting.
This is an important election. The future of the nation – from the economy to education to health care – will all be determined tomorrow. When it comes to choosing the next leader of this country, it seems pretty “appropriate” to miss a class or two.
The Provost’s Office should not be placing a ban canceling classes. Professors should be able to cancel classes for important events like the election at their own discretion.
Some students were relying on traveling home Tuesday to cast their votes. Their professors had told them previous to the Provost’s Office letter that classes would be canceled. Now, since it’s too late to request an absentee ballot, they are left with a dilemma: skip class and vote, or go to class and don’t vote.
Is that the democratic process the university is trying to push? The Provost’s Office should not punish students who did not decide to vote absentee.
It’s unfair for the university to give an ultimatum to choose between voting or class. Professors and students will find the time to make up that class, but to make up this election, they would have to wait four years.
In the e-mail to faculty, Loeffelholz said students should use early and late polling hours. Early and late voting will only help those who are voting in Boston, but what about the students who have to drive to Gloucester or Plymouth or elsewhere in the state? Or how about Joe Husky, who planned on taking a bus back home to Rhode Island to vote in person? Is the university telling these students they cannot vote without suffering consequences?
This is somewhat hypocritical since a number of professors canceled classes last fall on the day of the Red Sox victory parade after the team won the World Series.
The university has often stressed the importance of every student being a member of the surrounding community. As members we must engage in events that will affect us outside Northeastern’s bubble – whether it’s an entertaining event like a victory parade or a serious matter like voting.
In the e-mail, Loeffelholz acknowledges the importance of voting by saying, “We are all agreed that voting is a paramount civic duty, and the Provost’s Office is delighted to see how deeply the Northeastern community is engaged in this election.”
We read it in the paper and hear it on television: youth voting is low. The university should push voting instead of limiting students.
Like Loeffelhoz said, it’s students’ civic duty to go out and vote tomorrow, so go do it. If you need to, send an e-mail to your professors and let them know you’ll be absent. Hopefully most professors will be understanding and supportive of voting and not punish the class for making the correct choice.
