Announcing the Spring DC Students Speak Voter Registration Drive
Michael Panek (American 2014)
In the past, we at DC Students Speak have complained about the lack of attention our elected officials pay to student interests. In particular, City Councilmembers often look past student needs and opinions, as shown by last year’s passage of the new Noise Ordinance law and proposal of the Residential Parking Protection Act.
How do we currently hold our elected officials accountable? Certainly not by voting. Though college students make up a sixth of Washington DC’s 600,000 residents, we are an extremely small fraction of the District’s voting population (for example, less than 2% of American University’s on-campus residents voted in the fall 2010 elections). Students overwhelmingly choose to vote by absentee in their hometown, or even not vote at all, over voting in DC’s elections.
This is wrong. While we should demand that our politicians pay attention to student interests, we cannot expect that they will without us giving them a reason to do so. If students registered to vote en mass, our elected officials would have great reason to consider student opinions when creating policy, rather than catering to other constituencies as they do now. There is no better way for students to affect laws and rules in this city than by registering to vote.
This is why DC Students Speak is announcing its Spring Voter Registration Drive. The drive, which will run from February 27th to March 2nd, has a goal of registering over 1,000 students to vote in the District’s primary elections in April. By registering an extremely large group of students to vote, we can send a message to our elected officials in DC that we care about what happens in our city.
The Drive will operate at six college campuses: George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University, Howard University, Catholic University of America, and Trinity-Washington University. Students on each campus will be tabling and canvassing all week, seeking to engage students and remind them of the importance of voting in local elections.
If you are interested in volunteering at one of these campuses, or even registering to vote, contact the DCSS Chapter at your campus, or e-mail info@dcstudentsspeak.org. Together, we can send our government a message that students care about how we’re represented, and we’ll show that on Election Day.
Read MoreOne City Summit
By Evan Brown (American 2014)
On February 11th, residents from all across the city, including college students, will be attending Mayor Gray’s One City Summit, a community conversation designed to open dialogue about improving the city. Several leaders from DC Students Speak will be in attendance.
It will take place from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM this Saturday at the Washington Convention Center. Lunch will be provided.
Mayor Gray issued a press release two weeks ago asking citizens to attend.
“Join me and 1,000 of your fellow D.C. residents on February 11 as we have a frank and open conversation about how we can work together to improve our city’s services, outcomes, environment and quality of life for all of our residents,” Mayor Gray said. “This citywide town-hall-style meeting will show us ways we can work together to move our city forward.”
“Have you ever wondered what ‘One City’ really means?” Mayor Gray said. “One City is not just a logo or a slogan. It is the recognition that all District residents, no matter their differences, are bound together by a common destiny and a shared desire to make the city even better for the people who live here.
We all want a vibrant, sustainable city, where all residents have an opportunity to provide for themselves and their families, where every neighborhood is safe, where every student goes to a good school, where every tax dollar is spent wisely on a government that works and where citizens’ voices really count.”
Objectives of the summit, per the Mayor’s web site, include:
- Voting on specific priorities for action in the coming year
- Learning about current efforts to grow our economy, improve our schools, create more jobs, and other initiatives underway to move our city forward
- Participating in small group discussions with people from all over the city
- Identifying ways you can be more involved in future efforts to create a more unified city that works for everyone.
There is no question that Washington D.C. is in dire need of improvements. From the ethics problems on the DC Council, to WMATA repairs, to the problems of our schools, progress can be made in many ways.
Of course, all of us at DC Students Speak are invested not only in student rights, but in the welfare and well-being of the city as a whole. As college students, we hope to bring a fresh young perspective to the city, how policies affect us, how policies affect others, and how we think D.C. can become a better place for all. Join us as we participate in this conversation.
To sign up or find more information, visit http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5874/content_item/onecitysummit.
Read MoreDCSS Tours Forgotten Tunnels of Dupont Underground
By Ricky Garza (Georgetown 2013)
On Sunday, February 5th, members of DC Students Speak hailing from American, Catholic, Georgetown, and George Washington Universities gathered to tour the Dupont Underground, a network of abandoned tunnels and spaces once used in the ‘60s as a trolley station and briefly repurposed as a food court in the mid-‘90s.
Today, the Dupont Underground is in the early stages of planning and development aiming for an ambitious revitalization of the 75,000 sq. ft. space. Currently, the nonprofit Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground is working with the city, which owns the property, to secure a release for the former trolley station. Situated in a core urban location of the city, leaders of the redevelopment organization comprise designers, artists, and businesspeople.
Speaking to the group of students, project Managing Director Braulio Agnese believes the District is poised for a new entry onto the regional and national cultural scene.
Together, the Arts Coalition imagines an entirely revitalized underground urban institution in the heart of Dupont Circle highlighting the arts and cultural performances. Looking to successfully revitalized urban spaces like the Waterloo Tunnels in London and the abandoned train tracks now called The Highline in New York City, the planners see a bright future for the District’s own Dupont Underground.
Until now, tours of the Underground were reserved for businesses, developers, and potential investors, but DC Students Speak was allowed a tour after expressing interest about urban issues and smart growth in DC. Our leaders were excited to ask questions about the early progress of the project and its potential impact on urban life in DC, quite possible affecting students positively in the future.
While one large section of the former trolley station was cleared and lighted with temporary fixtures, another unmodified section illustrated the space, while promising, still has a long way to go. Remnants of the food court still remained, with half-legible signs indicating former coffee shops and delis barely illuminated by light punching through from above-ground entrances.
Though a long way off, imagining a city with a vibrant arts district beneath the already appealing Dupont Circle is something many DC students could support, and where our input for such a future space could be very important.
After seeing the space for ourselves, DC Students Speak invites other student organizations and campus media to contact the Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground and to consider its implications on future student life. To contact the Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground you may email connect@dupontunderground.org. To sign up for their email list please visit http://www.
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Apply to be a Poll Worker
By Tyler Sadonis (American 2014)
College students in Washington D.C. are trying to increase their influence in local elections by registering to vote in the District. They represent a demographic that is 15% of the Washington D.C. population and contributes over 600,000 hours of service annually to the city. DC Students Speak strongly supports the right of all Washington D.C. college students to participate in the District’s elections.
Unfortunately, there have been coordinated efforts in years past to disenfranchise the college student voters. The right of college students to vote in Washington D.C. and have an influence over decisions regarding campus plans, zoning, noise ordinances, and other local issues is on the line Thirty-five American University students had their ballots challenged in a 2010 Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) election to elect two classmates and in a 1996 ANC election to elect two Georgetown University students, residents actively went through voter logs and singled out all college student voters. Ensuring a fair election means making the polling place friendly to college students.
That is why DC Students Speak strongly encourages all college students in Washington D.C. to apply to work at the polls in the upcoming 2012 election. Poll workers serve their community by helping at the polls to ensure that the election is carried out in a fair and efficient manner. College students who work at the polls help to create an environment that is friendly to other college student voters. They also have the opportunity to see the Democratic process first hand and make a salary of $120 to $160 depending on the position.
To apply to work at the polls in the upcoming April 3 Primary Election, please fill out the brief application form and e-mail it to electionworker@dcboee.org as soon as possible as spots are filling up quickly. Students with language skills in Spanish, Chinese, French, and Amheric are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information please visit the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics information page.
New Progress in a New Year
At risk of sounding cliché, these are very exciting times for DC Students Speak.
The year of 2011 ended on a very positive note for DC Students Speak. The AU Campus Plan finished its testimony with positive reception from the Zoning Commissioners and a strong outlook going forward; the Residential Parking Protection Act sparked a petition with over 600 signers and saw multiple students testifying in front of City Council; and DCSS held its first ever E-Board elections, electing six students from across the District to lead this fast growing organization.
Now, the new E-Board is looking to continue this momentum into the New Year. At our Student Board meeting last Sunday, we unveiled a list of six goals for DCSS to pursue in the coming semester. Together, these goals should help DCSS further develop into a dynamic, legitimate organization able to successfully advocate for students across Washington DC.
Briefly:
1. We want to continue to expand our chapters at our seven core universities, including Georgetown University, American University, Howard University, Catholic University of America, Trinity University, University of the District of Columbia, and George Washington University. We’d like to have strong chapters, capable of creating events and effectively organizing, with multiple student leaders at each campus.
2. We want to legally incorporate DC Students Speak into a 501c(3) or 501c(4) organization. This will lend DC Students Speak an additional sense of legitimacy that comes with being an official entity.
3. We plan to improve our communication strategies by revamping our blog content schedule, adding a Deputy Communications Director, and increasing our outreach to our Advisory Board.
4. We will execute a soon-to-be-announced voter registration drive, which will go on for one week at the end of February. This drive will take place on at least five different campuses, and has a goal of registering over 1,000 student voters across the city.
5. We seek to add a treasurer position to our E-Board, and implement a new system with which to manage our finances. At the same time, we will and implement a new fundraising strategy.
6. Finally, we want to work to get students appointed to relevant Board and Commissions throughout the city, to give students a chance to influence policy that affects them, and to show that students care about how their city runs, and want to be a part of it.
Our Policy Director, Evan Brown, has already announced goal #6 on this blog. Expect every other goal on this list to be announced and expanded upon in the near future.
We are very excited for the new semester, and cannot wait to see what successes lie ahead. In the meantime, we plan to work very hard on executing these goals and defending student interests as needs arise. As always, continue to check back to this blog for updates on what DCSS is doing for students in the District.
Here’s to an exciting year!
Michael Panek
American 2014
President, DC Students Speak
Opportunities to Engage with the District Government
By Evan Brown (American 2014)
While student engagement with the D.C. government has grown exponentially over the past few years, the ultimate goal is to achieve a continuous and mutually beneficial relationship. Numerous vacancies currently vacant on Boards and Commissions in the District offer a path to such an opportunity.
Students have typically interacted with the government on an event-driven basis. Campus Plan hearings, redistricting, legislation, ANC meetings, and other similar things have drawn student interest. Now, DC Students Speak encourages all students to apply for a Board or Commission if they believe they may be interested.
Some of the committees that may be relevant to students include:
- Tenant Advisory Council
- Environmental Planning Commission
- Advisory Committee to the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgendered Affairs
- Commission for National and Community Service
- Commission for Women
- Commission on Human Rights
- Mayor’s Commission on Persons with Disabilities
A full list of vacancies is available here- http://obc.dc.gov/obc/frames.asp?doc=/obc/lib/obc/pdf/vacancy_list.pdf
We believe students are more than qualified to contribute positively to this city through such Commissions and Advisory Boards. Students can work with the government to make this city a better place for all. Through positive interaction and engagement, it is our hope that students and other residents of the city will work together positively and foster productive relationships.
In order to apply, one must fill out a simple form, a tax disclosure request, and submit a resume or biography. A guide to registering is available here (http://obc.dc.gov/obc/cwp/view,a,3,q,520782,obcNav,%7C31356%7C.asp) and here (http://obc.dc.gov/obc/frames.asp?doc=/obc/lib/obc/information/pdfs/obc_application_guide.pdf).
Please feel free to contact DC Students Speak if you have any questions, and we will be happy to support you.
Read MoreDCSS-Georgetown Hosts Councilman Wells
By Ricky Garza (Georgetown 2013)
On Monday, January 23rd, the Georgetown chapter of DC Students Speak hosted DC Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) at their weekly membership meeting. Speaking to an intimate crowd in Georgetown’s iconic Healy Hall, the event was attended by civic-minded students from Georgetown, American, and GW universities.
“I love that you created this organization,” said CM Wells of DC Students Speak, after turning to student issues near the end of the event.
As perhaps the strongest current advocate for ethics reform and government oversight on the current DC Council, CM Tommy Wells currently represents Ward 6 and drafted new sweeping ethics legislation passed last December, including provisions for impeachment of councilmembers and tougher penalties for ethical misconduct. Due in part to his investigations of ethics violations by peers on the Council, Wells was reassigned from his position as Chair of the Transportation Committee to the Committee on Libraries, Parks, Recreation, and Planning, which he said still gives him a large role in city planning.
A former ANC commissioner himself before moving on to the DC Board of Education and eventually the District Council, Wells spoke of his role in District government as a unique administrative challenge. Doubly charged with administering and creating local law in the many instances where DC acts as a state, including human rights law, same-sex marriage legislation, education, and child welfare, he also deals with municipal matters like potholes, fallen trees, and local licensing. Speaking of his proudest accomplishments during his time on the Council, Wells cited drafting of the “Bag Bill” five cent tax on plastic bags, doubling the number of bikes in the Capital Bikeshare program, ethics reform, and a new citywide referendum aiming to curb further corruption.
While using most of his time to describe his accomplishments in general, Wells turned to student issues before taking questions at the end of his speech, stating that he was impressed with the creation of DC Students Speak and adding that he sees its sustainability as a measure of our potential success. He said while he believed Mayor Gray and most members of the Council were wrong to oppose Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan as the university was the city’s largest private employer, he said it was probably politically useful for them to do so.
Fielding several questions from the audience, Wells responded to issues of gentrification and sustainable urban development, a potential new Redskins football stadium within District boundaries, and the frequent demonization of students in the public discourse. Giving a lengthy answer on the challenges coming with gentrification, Wells used the changing H Street Northeast corridor as an example, stating that the government must ensure that potentially priced-out businesses must be given assistance but cannot be subsidized forever. He stated that through using a combination of grants and economic-advice assistance, potentially displaced businesses would be given time to adapt their business models to a changing environment. Wells did not like the idea of a large new football stadium within DC, calling it a waste of valuable urban space that wouldn’t make the city much money and suggesting instead that the proposed area could be used for public recreational space.
Responding to a question about the role of students in city government and their demonization in the local discourse, Wells stated that it is done because of stereotypes about students and a lack of consequences for doing so. If students don’t vote or vote locally, there is little incentive for politicians to be responsive to student perspectives and concerns.
Saying the event itself was a good start to changing public perceptions about students and showing city leaders that real interest exists in local issues, Wells said students and groups like DC Students Speak should continue their work of voter registration and encouraging students to take the next step of running for ANC offices to make a real difference in the District community.
Read MoreDC Students Fight Repeal of Parking Law
On Tuesday, December 13, the DC City Council debated, Residential Parking Protection Act, a proposed law to repeal the student reciprocity exception for out-of-state drivers. While the Council argues a repeal of DC Code § 50-1401.02(e) would substantially reduce parking concerns around the city, it is, in reality, a discriminatory measure aimed to placate the concerns of residents living near universities.
Proponents of the repeal claim that many students park unfairly in neighborhoods near universities, preventing residents living there from parking on streets near their homes. They argue that, by taking away the reciprocity exception, which allows students to obtain residential parking permits, will reduce parking congestion on DC’s streets.
Under the current law, if a student has a vehicle registered out of state and rents an off campus apartment somewhere in the District of Columbia, he or she can pay a $338 fee to receive reciprocity and a permit to park in the area near where their home is located. Currently 892 full-time students as defined by the student’s educational institution, including undergraduate, law, medical, and graduate students, fit this criteria and opt into this program. As renters, these students are taxpaying members of the community and only seek the same opportunities to live and work in DC that all other residents have. Repealing the reciprocity exception, which is annually renewable, would take away revenue from the city, subject 892 full-time students to higher personal car insurance rates, and deny students the ability to realistically live across the District of Columbia.
Some proponents cite parking congestion caused by university students, faculty, and staff as cause for revoking reciprocity exceptions. Revoking reciprocity will not reduce these parking infractions in any significant way. These outside parkers would not qualify for a RPP permit and therefore are already illegally parking in neighborhoods near universities. Restricting the ability of legal residents to park near their homes based solely on their status as a student is discriminatory and goes to no realistic or practical ends.
The proposed bill is currently before the DC City Council. Please sign our petition at:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/oppose-the-residential-parking-protection-act-of-2011.html
Tell the DC City Council that we will not tolerate the discrimination of students. We will not be used as scapegoats to placate the public in a feigned attempt to address serious community concerns.
ANC 2E Roundup: Infrastructure, Public Works, and, yes, Macaroons
By The Editors
ANC 2E's meeting last night was as noteworthy for what was going on as what was not going on. Two commissioners, Commissioner Solomon and Commissioner Lewis, were absent. And the headline-grabbing issues that have been covered in past ANC meetings -- redistricting and the campus plan -- were not on the agenda either.
Instead, the focus of the meeting was on the Glover Park Infrastructure Project. The project stretches beyond any one ANC, and it consists mainly of basic improvements to Wisconsin Avenue between Massachusetts Avenue and 34th Street, along with sidewalk expansions for pedestrians. Neighbors expressed their many concerns about how this plan would impact traffic, pedestrian safety, and how permanent the new project would be.
Commissioner Jake Sticka asked about whether performance-based parking has been explored (it has not), and whether the GUTS buses will have an easier time making turns on this new road than they have in the past (they may). After heated moments of community comment, the commission went on to endorse the Glover Park Infrastructure Project unanimously.
The commissioners also noted that the O and P Streets project is nearing further completion, and they encouraged neighbors to continue monitoring the progress of the project through the project website.
The commissioners noted that public works workers will be doing extensive leaf-blowing in the neighborhood. In other news, the Commissioners voted to oppose the expansion of Blue Gin on Wisconsin Avenue in light of noise-related concerns, Wisemillers's application to renew its ABC license was endorsed, a number of neighbors' home improvement projects were approved, and a neon sign adorning a local business was found to be non-compliant with the neighborhood's aesthetic.
Causing much discussion, a macaroon store wants to open and sell its product through a folding window, which the commissioners only would approve for this specific purpose, with the fear that this would otherwise set a precedent for pizza or other goods being sold through windows as well. And perhaps as the most controversial item of the agenda, a ANC 2E homeowner wished to convert her residence into a home that neighbors claim would be obtrusively larger in nature and claim that the aesthetic would conflict with Georgetown's historic appearance. Unsurprisingly, the commissioners declared their opposition to the proposal.
Read MoreBetween Monthly Meetings
By Ricky Garza (Georgetown 2013)
At DCSS, our District-wide Student Board convenes once a month with representatives from every major
university in the city to discuss issues affecting all of us and to approve policy positions that apply to
all Chapter organizations. Because there can often be a lot to talk about (with meetings lasting several
hours), DC Students Speak also appoints special ad-hoc committees to work on specific issues in greater
detail. Made up of interested members of the Student Board and leaders in Chapter organizations, ad
hoc committees meet between monthly meetings to get things done on behalf of DC Students Speak.
Smaller and more conducive to group work, ad hoc committees work to craft policy and achieve
solutions to problems that can be presented as recommendations at the larger meetings of the Student
Board.
Last week, the Ad Hoc Committee on Policy convened with representation from American, Georgetown,
and Howard Universities to work out the details of our District-wide policy stance on transportation
reform and to create a list of secondary issues all students can agree on. While the policy is yet to be
approved and will involve more detail, at the core of our transportation vision for the city is a WMATA
Metro Discount for university students.
Additionally, the committee will recommend DCSS formerly take stances against the new DC Noise
Ordinance, for Pell Grant support, same day voter registration rights, improved city safety measures,
student-friendly polling station locations, and a position for full DC democracy and federal voting rights
at our upcoming November meeting.
Also, the Ad Hoc Committee on Voter Registration convened last week to discuss initial steps and our
plan moving forward for our citywide Student Voter Registration Drive to take place next semester
ahead of the March 2012 primary elections. Scheduled to register student voters on every campus in the
city and to train over 200 students to serve as poll workers to increase student participation, our team
has much to be excited about as we look to the months ahead.
As DC Student Speak prepares our November meeting of Chapter Presidents and looks toward full
elections before the Fall semester’s end, we have much to look forward to. When classes resume in
early January of 2012, a new DC Students Speak leadership truly representative of the diversity on every
campus will begin a year of exciting work filled with advocacy and action on behalf of the growing new
student political constituency.
Whether it’s looking ahead a year from now or planning for next week, DCSS is working to keep the
conversation going.
