Way to Go! Elwood students win voting video contest
Elwood-John H. Glenn High School seniors Rithika Narayan, left, and Juliana Weber. Credit: Elwood School District
Two Elwood students' video encouraging peers to vote has been named the winner of a virtual civic engagement video contest coordinated by the League of Women Voters of Huntington.
Rithika Narayan and Juliana Weber, who are both seniors at Elwood-John H. Glenn High School, took first place for their three-minute video in which they discussed the need for young eligible voters to participate in the upcoming election.
"You may doubt the impact of a single vote, however in recent history there have been over a dozen elections that were decided by one vote, which could be yours," Weber said in the winning video. "It’s the legislation that's passed that decides the fate of your student debt, the job market you'll enter, and the gun laws that decide your rights and your safety."
Narayan added, "Make sure your voice continues to be heard by voting in local, state and federal elections … The only way to reap the benefits of our democracy is to make voting a habit."
Narayan and Weber also outlined the various ways in which their peers can cast a ballot this year — such as heading to the polls on Nov. 3, completing an absentee ballot or voting early, an option available from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1.
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
