As the November presidential election approaches, Oakland University sophomore Morgan Cirenese is on the front lines, working hard to encourage her peers to rally to the polls.
As the president of the organization Un-PAC OU, she spends much of her time engaging with students across campus about the power of their voices and the importance of being registered to vote.
Un-PAC OU (Un-Political Action Committee of Oakland University) is a non-partisan organization whose purpose is to increase youth political engagement that will guarantee the political power of our generation and pave the way for record-breaking youth voter turnout.
Un-PAC is a national organization with multiple colleges across the country that work together and communicate to reach representation as a nation with 184 organizers hired and 38 campus chapters.
Cirenese is on a mission to ensure Oakland students understand the impact their voices can truly have on our country.
“Our main goal is to get younger generations more involved so that we can create a democracy that can work for us,” Cirenese said. “If the younger generation gets more involved and starts voting more and registering to vote, more politicians will be forced to look at the younger generation, and they’ll be forced to be like, okay, what do students need?”
Cirenese is currently a sophomore studying political science at Oakland. She had always been involved in political engagement, even before taking on Un-PAC OU’s presidential role. Before becoming involved on campus, she worked at the polls for the state election in Michigan. In high school, she did an internship with the Haley Stevens for Congress Campaign, where she initiated similar work to what she does now on campus.
Cirenese initially joined the organization as a volunteer, going around campus with other org members and asking students to sign petitions. After her first year, the previous president of the organization stepped down, offering the position to Cirenese. Un-PAC’s focus on empowering young voters aligned perfectly with her passion for reform and community involvement.
“One reason I decided to do it is because last year was our first year, so we had a bit of a slow start,” she said. “We ended up recruiting more people this year than last year and I knew, I’m like, okay, we can make it big. This could actually really help and affect the outcome of the election.”
During her time so far with this powerful organization of young leaders, Cirenese has already helped come up with many ways to make a difference for our campus community.
She organizes canvassing in the Oakland Center, where she and some of her peers will go around and canvas, which is when the organization asks students on campus to sign petitions related to the well-being of students.
One of the biggest petitions Un-PAC OU has been working on is to get school canceled on election day, so students can have the opportunity to take time out of their busy schedules to vote.
“It’s one of the most successful petitions that we have done. Usually, if we are in the Oakland Center, and we start off by asking students if they want school canceled on election day, a lot of heads will turn, and students seem to pay attention,” Cirenese said.
“We have a decent number of signatures. Students are on board, teachers are on board, it is just the administration we are pushing at this point. We are currently working hard to get in touch with administration to get this petition signed so students can get out and vote.”
Cirenese will also attend classes across campus to present what she calls a “rap,” where she gives a presentation on the organization’s efforts and why it is important to become involved in what’s going on in our nation’s politics. She considers this an effective way to raise awareness on a broad scale.
Sarah Ibrahim, a student at Oakland and canvassing leader from Un-PAC OU, said that Cirenese’s efforts to create youth political reforms and raise voter awareness are making a big difference around campus in the short amount of time since she has taken on the role of president.
“The president’s planning and efforts contributed by igniting people to vote throughout this election season,” Ibrahim said. “This election is absolutely an important one and the president has made that clear. She has not only contributed to increasing voter registrations but also has made more people aware of the different ways people can make a difference in their communities.”
In her short time as a member of this club, Ibrahim believes that Cirenese has truly made a difference on how students think regarding getting involved and going out to vote to make a difference for our peers.
Cirenese understands that talking about politics has this stigma around it. It’s considered “intimidating” or “controversial” to talk about. There is also this hanging feeling that the younger generation’s opinions on our country are not considered important. Slowly but surely, she is working hard to break that stigma around campus.
“The biggest thing I learned from being a part of this organization is how big of an influence our generation really has,” she said.
“I think a lot of times we can be overlooked by older generations, or people assume that we don’t know what we are talking about yet and aren’t as involved, and I think that this really discourages a lot of younger kids. They’re going to think that no one is going to care what they have to say when that is simply not the truth.”
She encourages her fellow students not to be afraid to make their voices loud and heard.
“The more we make our presence known and heard, the more they are going to look at us and take care of our specific needs, such as student debt, tuition, universities mandated to be transparent on how they’re spending our money, stuff like that,” Cirenese said.
In the coming days as the election cycle begins to intensify, Cirenese will continue to serve as a critical link between Oakland students and the political landscape to help make a difference for our country. In her eyes, the 2024 election is more than just a vote, it’s a chance for her generation to reshape their future.
“Everybody is interested in something. Everyone has their own history; everyone has their own struggles. Look at something you are passionate about, whether that be health care, debt, affording a house, or anything like that. It all ties back into politics,” Cirenese said. “You can contribute to the deciding factor of your needs; all it takes is your vote.”
