Finals
OTTER FACT: The Southern Sea Otter is the smallest marine mammal in North America.
Good morning Otters!
Welcome to another week. For a lot of us, finals week(s) is quickly approaching. Helpful resources for advising and counseling services at South are always listed at the bottom of this page. Tutoring services can be utilized using starfish, or vising the tutoring center located at RSB 12.
Good luck everyone!
Student Section: “The Electoral College is Unnecessary,” an essay by Zoe Hawkins.
Originally written for English 102 on June 16, 2023.
The Electoral College is Unnecessary
The electoral college is America’s current system for electing presidents. The general population casts their votes. Then five hundred and thirty eight representatives cast their votes which are supposed to reflect the votes of those they represent. It was decided when America was founded and has not been changed since. It made sense at the time, given the fact that only very few people were illiterate and the majority of the population could not read or write. It was better for the educated elite to be making decisions rather than the uneducated masses. The electoral college was created so the uneducated people didn’t have a say in government. Today, most of the population is educated. Due to the fact that the majority of the population is educated, the electoral college is unnecessary in modern day.
When America was first founded, only the wealthy elite were educated. “Only white men were formally educated. While some white men never received much formal education, almost nobody else received any,” (marketplace.org). Wealthy girls had tutors to teach them to read and write, but they were not taught mathematics or history. Education was considered a sign of wealth and status, reserved for only the elite and influential white men. These were the people who would then go on to decide how our country was created and governed.
While it was terribly unfair that most people were uneducated, it made sense to only have the electoral college. The electoral college was made up of the wealthy white men who had extensive education in politics and history. “In New England the literacy rate was 60% between 1650-1670, 85% between 1758- 1762, and 90% between 1787 - 1795. In Virginia it was between 54% & 60% in the late 18th century,” (Colonial Quills). These statistics were just the white citizens of America. There was a good percentage of the population that would not even be able to read the names of the candidates on the ballots. It made sense at the time for the popular vote to be an indicator of how the educated representatives of the electoral college should cast their votes.
Today, the majority of the population is easily educated. According to Statista, 91.6% of women and 90.5% of men had completed high school in 2021. With a K-12 education being legally required, we have mainstream education and going to school is a staple of childhood life. Very few people do not have a high school diploma or higher degree, and those that are uneducated are typically part of older generations. Unlike in the 18th century, education is commonplace.
Due to the fact that most people are educated, the electoral college is unnecessary and outdated. “The Electoral College is an old constitutional provision that is outdated, robs Americans of the vote and causes a potential nightmare for elections,” USA Today said. It was made nearly two and a half centuries ago, in a vastly different time period. It is outdated and fit for an era that we no longer live in. Like with all of our laws, we need to update our election process to fit the time period.
In the history of America, only five out of 46 presidents have lost the popular vote but won the presidency, including two recent presidents. Both Bush and Trump lost the popular vote, indicating that the majority of the population did not want them in office, and they both went on to be horrible presidents. “Hillary Clinton received 2.8 million more votes in the popular vote—the largest such disparity yet,” (History.com). This was a clear indication that Clinton the people of America wanted Clinton in office and yet Trump became president and went on to hurt our country tremendously in four year, due to the electoral college.
The electoral college is influenced towards Republicans. They have an unfair advantage in the presidential elections due to the way the electoral college is arranged. “In this era of tight national races, the system has clearly given Republicans a built-in advantage that allows them to govern with a minority of the public’s support,” (Slate.com). The way that votes in different states weigh heavily than votes in other states and how swing states are important means that republicans have an easier time winning the presidential election and democrats have to fight twice as hard for a democratically elected president.
The electoral college also benefits the rich and powerful. Because if helps them, those in charge have no reason to want the electoral college gone. “This system was invented and always intended for the wealthy to control our economy and way of life,” said The Times Herald. It is the wealthy elite in DC who are controlling the country and the presidency, not the will of the people. The electoral college is nothing more than a way to prevent people from having a say in the presidential election while still maintaining the illusion of democracy.
Overall votes are a better indication of the will of the people. The electoral college is not a fair, just or democratic way of electing a president. “Instead, we should elect the president by a national popular vote,” said FairVote, an organization trying to abolish the electoral college. There are many people, groups and organizations trying to institute a popular vote instead of an electoral college to determine the president. Our current system is undemocratic and we need to use popular vote.
The electoral college is unneeded because most people are educated. When America was first founded, very few people were educated. Because of this, it made sense to have the electoral college. Today, the vast majority of society is educated so the electoral college serves no purpose and the popular vote better indicates the will of the people. The only reason why the electoral college still exists today is because it benefits both the Republican party as well as the rich and powerful. Because it helps them, they have no motivation to change the system. In order to have a fair and democratic presidential election, the electoral college must be destroyed.
Works Cited:
Abendschein, Dan. “What Education Was like in 1776.” Marketplace, 3 July 2014, https://www.marketplace.org/2014/07/03/what-education-was-1776/.
Bonney, Anthony. “Electoral College Protects the Rich and Powerful.” Times Herald, 5 Sept. 2016, https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/opinion/readers/2016/09/05/electoral-college-protects-rich-powerful/89878666/.
Duffin, Erin. “Percentage of U.S. Population Who Have Completed High School 1960-2021.” Statista, 10 June 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/184266/educational-attainment-of-high-school-diploma-or-higher-by-gender/.
FairVote. “A National Popular Vote for President.” FairVote, https://www.fairvote.org/national_popular_vote.
Gade, Carla. “Literacy in Colonial America.” Colonial Quills, 15 June 2011, https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/2011/06/literacy-in-colonial-america.html.
Katz, Lee Michael. “The Electoral College Robs American Voters of Their Voice at Best.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 3 Nov. 2020, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/11/03/elections-electoral-college-flawed-can-botch-election-column/6116578002/.
Roos, Dave. “5 Presidents Who Lost the Popular Vote but Won the Election.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 23 July 2020, https://www.history.com/news/presidents-electoral-college-popular-vote.
Weissmann, Jordan. “The Electoral College Really Does Give Republicans a Massive Advantage in Close Elections, a New Paper Finds.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 17 Sept. 2019, https://slate.com/business/2019/09/electoral-college-republican-advantage-texas-economics-paper.html.
This week:
Student Survey
Exciting Events for International Students!
Weekly Meeting
All SSC students are invited to our weekly USA meetings, every Tuesday from 1:00 - 2:30 pm. Discuss your concerns as a student and get involved in student leadership. Meet us in JMB 128, the conference room inside the student life building!
Environmental Activism Group
Want to get involved in community building, work towards environmental change, and have opportunities to earn volunteer hours? Join the Environmental Activism Group! Zoe, our sustainability officer, will be hosting every Thursday from 2:00 - 3:00pm in JMB Student Life 128. See you there!
Sign up link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHyeY6a6Utmj2xNma0y39ePy4Ujr4S-AO0aoTXYp_6spp4Ww/viewform
Interested in starting a student club?
Student organizations are a big part of building communities on campus. USA is focused on getting student clubs off the ground this year, after the loss of them due to COVID.
First, let’s clarify what a student organization is, it’s a group of students that come together to meet, hold events, and support other students. Student clubs can be created over majors, advocacy, culture, hobbies, special interests, and more. There are many benefits to being a part of a club, and each club will have different benefits depending on its focus.
The problem USA is facing right now is we are lacking enough student leader interest in starting a club. So, if you are interested in becoming a student leader and starting a club do not hesitate! I know students already have a hefty load to carry with school, work, life, and more so USA is here to help you get the club started and running smoothly. This is an opportunity you can put on your resume to show leadership skills and to network with your peers.
If you are interested in starting a club please email yana.goddard@seattlecolleges.edu.
WSA Student Advocacy Sign-Up Form
The Washington Student Association is the official, nonpartisan, statewide representation for students in higher education. As the largest student-run, student-led organization in the state, their mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone in Washington.
This Winter, the WSA is working to pass several bills whose goal is to address the impact of increasing cost-of-living expenses, and lack of basic needs resources. These include initiatives around affordable housing, food insecurity, campus mental health resources, childcare, financial aid, and more! The only way these bills will succeed is through direct advocacy efforts by current students. By sharing your story and your experience as a college student, legislators can be convinced to pass legislation that will benefit hundreds of thousands of students.
Use this form to sign up to be a part of these historic efforts! By filling out this form, the WSA will know to contact you with opportunities to testify during the 2023 legislative session, as well as future chances to get involved.
Student Advocacy Interest Form
Check out WSA’s website at www.wastudents.org to find out more about the bills they are working on this Winter, as well as more about their organization and history of advocacy. If you have any questions, please email the WSA Organizing Manager, Molly Walker at molly@wastudents.org.
Interested in meditation?
Come down to the Food Pantry!
The food pantry is open to everyone, come down for snacks/groceries and toiletries.
Resources:
On-Campus Operations Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Phone/Voicemail: 206-934-5387
Counseling: If you are currently experiencing a crisis situation, please call 988, 911 or contact CRISIS CONNECTIONS: 1-866-427-4747 (24-HR Crisis Line)! Requests for consultation and/or non-emergency educational and personal counseling appointments should be sent to southcounseling@seattlecolleges.edu.
Hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays 11 am - 2 pm.
LOCATION: Jerry Brockey Student Center Office of Student Life, room 134 (same building as Bookstore but at the south end).
If you are in urgent need to access the pantry, please visit the Office of Student Life in JMB 125 or email Monica.Lundberg@seattlecolleges.edu to schedule an appointment.
Hours: 5:30 A.M. - 10 P.M (Monday through Friday)
Location: Robert Smith Building (RSB 50)
Primary Phone: 206-235-0911
Secondary Phone: 206-934-0911.
Additional:
If you want more information on the newsletter, or have any requests/suggestions, you can reach me at ashwak.samatar@seattlecolleges.edu.