Maggie Lile, features editor

With a historical presidential election coming up, there has been anything but a drought of campaign ads, spam texts, voter registration pop-ups or political debates. While the constant swarm of political pressure can be overwhelming, it is our responsibility to understand our role in building the future of our country, even as young adults. That being said, voting is just one branch of the enormous and ever-growing tree of civic engagement. 

Irene Fernando, the current Hennepin County Board of Commissioners Chair, stood at the podium of the Hoversten Chapel on Wednesday, Oct. 10. While being the youngest woman to ever win a seat on the Hennepin County Board, she is also the very first Filipino American in Minnesota to win a seat on the board, too. “Irene Fernando is a very close friend of mine who happens to be Chair of the Hennepin County Commission. I know how passionate she is about you, young adults,” said Pastor Babette Chapman, an Augsburg graduate and a full-time ministry member since 2019, in an interview with the Echo. “Civic engagement is very important. And I know that Commissioner Fernando is committed and invested in you and your peers.”  

As Fernando spoke to the audience, she made it clear that politics are not the only route to being civic. With the statement “you yourself are civic,” Fernando made it clear that civic engagement is not just a one-size-fits-all. While Fernando is currently pursuing it within the world of politics, she explains how she never even planned to have a career in politics — instead, she “found” herself in them due to her unwavering concern for the care of others. “Politics is a fraction of what it means to live and be in community and to be civically involved,” Chapman vocalized, reflecting on the wisdom Fernando shared. “Politics has this way of overtaking the conversation, and our shared humanity and individual personhood is far more important than any individual election or any particular vote cast. Your relationship with yourself, a dynamic relationship with those around you is of the utmost importance and is the foundation for any sort of civic activity.”

So, what does civic engagement look like for students? “I’ve seen it in the ways Augsburg’s student government affects change in the ways the University sets policies. I’ve seen it in the students that participate in the Alternative Spring Break, the ways they totally immerse themselves in the communities we volunteer and provide service,” Pastor Chapman responded. “I see it on this campus in Multicultural Life, Residence Life, Athletics, Choir, Band, and even in the students grounding themselves in the grass outside my window.”

Unfortunately, politics can carry a negative connotation. And while there is validity in the murkiness of how to feel during this time, it is crucial to shine light on the multitude of other ways to make a difference in your own little community. Read the news, learn about your candidates and go out and vote! But, don’t stop there, look around campus. What areas could use a little extra attention? Share your interests with others and join a student organization that makes you feel good. Look around the city, too — attend local events and festivals, support small businesses, bring awareness to causes important to you and never stop searching for ways to make yourself proud. 

“How are you going to create the world that you believe in?” Fernando asked in closing, compelling us all to stay active wherever our community lies.