PCC athletics will suspend all activities on Nov 3rd to allow student-athletes the time to vote and partake in this year’s election. The newest athletic campaign, Exercise your right to vote, focuses on informing student-athletes about their rights as voters and encourages student-athletes to take a stand.
“With all that is happening in the country, along with the pandemic, student-athletes more than ever want to have a voice that can be heard,” said PCC’s Dean of Kinesiology, Dyan Miller.
Miller and Director of Kinesiology, Tony Barbone, collaborated on the campaign and brought its attention to the rest of the athletics department.
“As this is an election year, our thought was we could educate our athletes about the importance of voting and how they can make their vote count,” said Miller. “We spoke to the coaches and asked them if this was something they would be interested in doing with their teams and everyone bought in one hundred percent and so we went to work on putting this together.”
Each coach will work with their respective teams and focus on voter education, the importance of voting and how each vote makes a difference.
“Your vote plus my vote will make a difference in how we elect our local and state politicians as well as who we choose for President of the United States,” said PCC’s women’s basketball coach Joe Peron. “Let’s vote and make a difference!”
Barbone encourages student-athletes to voice their opinion and familiarize themselves with the voting process.
“It is essential for each of us to become educated about the process and the right to vote,” said Barbone. “It is an avenue to express how individuals feel about our country and the leadership that serves us.”
Miller hopes the campaign will not just inspire student-athletes to vote, but also allow student-athletes to see the effects that can come from taking part in various branch elections.
“I hope that student-athletes are able to learn about the voting process and why it’s very important to vote each and every election,” said Miller. “As Americans we should be proud that we have an opportunity to vote and we should exercise this right. The hope is that student-athletes will learn about each of the candidates and make an informed choice. They can also make a difference in their state, community and get involved and learn about the legislation that directly impacts them.”
Students are encouraged to visit the PCC athletics Instagram page, where coaches and staff will upload photos throughout the election process. Students can send a direct message to @PCCAthletics including a picture of themselves registering to vote and then again of themselves voting, whether it be by mail-in or in person.
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