The Delegation

Welcome to Season 2 of The Delegation! Last season we spoke to young people across the country about political and social issues that affected them. Back for more, we plan to do much of the same! In this episode, Votable brings you an in-depth look at the Virginia governor's race. With almost a million early ballots already cast, and election day on TODAY, November 2nd, the race is heating up between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin, and it looks to be a close one. To understand more about the generation that will be shaping our elections for decades to come, we spoke with two young organizers and what they think about Virginia's upcoming gubernatorial election.Guests:Sam Widener  host of the conservative podcast, Rant WorldMatthew Savage served as Chair of the Virginia Young Democrats Teen Caucus

This is the final episode exploring Voter Suppression/Election Integrity.  There's a clear divide between how states and the federal government want to approach election integrity and battle lines are clearly drawn between political parties. For his final episode, Sohan wanted to talk about what is happening in his home state of Texas regarding election integrity. Over the past several months, Texas has made national headlines for introducing new legislation focused on Election Integrity and how the Democrats and Republicans are at odds.Special Guest: Hannah Horick, a Communication and Development Coordinator for a domestic and sexual violence response agency in West Texas and President of Texas Young Democrats.

Jordan takes a look back at Season 1 of The Delegation. Backdropped by a new presidential administration and in the midst of a global pandemic, our first season has chronicled a wide range of issues.We've chatted with a diverse array of current college students and recent college graduates across the country and across the aisle about their lived experiences and perceptions of our government in an effort to demonstrate how young people can wield our collective power to drive change.Thank you to all listeners and participants! Feel free to share an episode and pay it forward.

The 2020 Presidential Election brought out historic voting numbers. One state in particular is Deep South Georgia, which surprised the nation by voting blue. Now, the state among many others seems to be on a push to purge those same voters from having a say in their Democracy. Today, we talk to André Fields from Fair Fight, a national voting rights organization rooted in Georgia led by Stacey Abrams. Find out what Fair Fight did to transform elections across the nation and organize against voter suppression.Featured Guest: André Fields, Political Director of Fair FightResources:https://fairfight.com/

On its 90th anniversary, we talk to college students Bianca Herrera and Jake Turner about their perceptions of the American Dream and whether or not it still exists in today's society. While we are backdropped by a country that has seen stark rises in income inequality, less opportunity for economic mobility, and a rising awareness of social justice issues, the American Dream means something different to each person you ask, as Bianca and Jake will also tell you.So, is the American Dream still alive?

Technology has been playing a major role in our politics. We often get our news from social media and the internet. Campaigns, elected officials, and policy analysts all use these tools to understand the political landscape. This episode Sohan's Special Guest Becca Blais is the co-founder of Political Tech Nonprofit, Bluebonnet Data. She got her start in policy through Notre Dame student advocacy, where she worked on issues including sexual assault & student safety, diversity & inclusion, sustainability, and health & wellness through her roles as the Student Body Vice President and Student Body President. She is a 2017 Truman Scholar and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Bluebonnet Data, a nonprofit that is recruiting and training the next generation of data-savvy leaders in the progressive movement.

In response to the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery in 2020, Illinois lawmakers passed landmark criminal justice reform legislation referred to as the SAFE-T Act in February of 2021. Today, we will talk to two Chicago-based attorneys about the recent bill dubbed the SAFE-T Act, signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker on February 22, 2021, and how this Act will bring significant and historic changes to the criminal justice system in Illinois. Featured Guests: Attorney Antonio Lee, an Assistant State's Attorney at Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, and Attorney Chelsey Robinson, a Chicago-based attorney focused on criminal defense and family law. Resources: Illinois General Assembly: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3653&GAID=15&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=108&GA=101 The Institute for Illinois' Fiscal Sustainability: https://www.civicfed.org/iifs/blog/summary-provisions-illinois-house-bill-3653-criminal-justice-omnibus-bill 

The Delegation Investigates is a series led by college student guest hosts who will be talking to experts on a topic they are passionate about.This episode, our first host , Sohan Gade a second year at Davidson College talks to a group of high school students Avani Singireddy, Elizabeth Swaine, and Austen Wyche of the Alabama State Board of Students Against Voter Suppression.  These voters have a voice and are mobilizing to drive change. 

We received overwhelming feedback from our listeners after our episode — Immigration: The Pathway to Citizenship — who wanted to know more about how they can get involved and how to better support undocumented students. In this bonus episode, host Jordan Fierst sits down with the co-advisors of DREAM Action NIU, Sandy López and Lizbeth Román. The pair discuss a range of topics from why they engage in this advocacy; the hurdles that undocumented students often encounter, especially when it comes to pursuing and financing higher education; how to support undocumented students; what DREAM Action NIU is up to, and how YOU can be an ally and get involved today. Featured Guests: Sandy López and Lizbeth Román, Co-Advisors of DREAM Action at Northern Illinois University, a student-led organization. Resources: https://www.niu.edu/undocumented/dream-action/index.shtmlSign up here to participate in The Delegation and learn more about it here. To get the latest from Votable, subscribe to our mailing list. 

Introducing our new spin-off series called The Delegation Investigates. Each series will be led by college student guest hosts who will be talking to experts on a topic they are passionate about. We will give YOU a broader range of voices to hear from and hope you feel inspired by this series.Our first host is, Sohan Gade, second year at Davidson College majoring in Political Science Major with a minor in Computer Science. Sohan is also a Delegation Alum, featured on Episode 1: Covid Relief. This first mini-season of The Delegation Investigates will focus on Voter Suppression.Voting and voting suppression is not new. It has been going on for hundreds of years. In this episode, Sohan chats with Whitney Waite, Votable’s co-founder, on voter suppression and gives us a brief history of Voter Suppression in America.

Thursday, April 29th, marked President Joe Biden's 100th day in office. The first 100 days have come to serve as a benchmark of a President’s ability to get stuff done in the next four years.To mark this important milestone, we’re changing things up a little bit by holding our very first ever panel discussion with former Delegation participants as well as brand new students. It’s a little less scripted and a little more raw. And the perspectives range from liberal to conservative, this is a must listen episode.

Mass media have shared visuals and reported on the number of unaccompanied children at the border. Many are pressing the current administration to act fast.In today’s episode, we’ll talk to two college students across the country, both of whom have a personal story rooted in immigration to the United States and/or an interest in immigration. Featured Guests: Luis Amezquita, a junior Political Science - Law and Policy student at Northern Illinois University and Hannah Kuper, a second-year Political Communications student at the University of Texas.

No matter who you are, navigating student debt and repayment is tough.  In today's episode, we'll share some student loan tips and loan repayment tricks from a recent college graduate who now works in higher education, Beckett Costello. Featured Guest: Beckett Costello, a 2019 Political Science graduate from Roosevelt University and current Admissions Counselor at University of Illinois-Chicago. 

The Biden Administration has ambitious plans to change higher education and provide federal student loan debt relief. In today's episode, we’ll talk to a recent college graduate and two college students who take us through their experiences taking out student loans and incurring student debt and share what the Biden Administration’s relief plan could mean for them.Featured Guests: Beckett Costello, a 2019 Political Science graduate from Roosevelt University and current Admissions Counselor at University of Illinois-Chicago; Phylicia Richardson, a 2020 graduate from Roosevelt University who is in the midst of pursuing her Ph.D. from Florida Institute of Technology in Industrial-Organizational Psychology; and Rachel Wolfrey, a second-year Political Science and Public Relations student at the University of Florida.

On Saturday, March 6th, the Senate officially passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill by a 50-49 vote. Since there have already been stimulus checks distributed. It's important to understand what this plan means and how it impacts people now and in the future. We talk to three college students across the country. Ashley Hampton, a UX/HCI grad student at the University of Michigan; Sariah Bolden, a third-year History and Political Science major at Roosevelt University; and Sohan Gade, a second-year Political Science and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics major at Davidson College, sit down with me to talk COVID relief and more specifically, what the Biden administration’s relief plan could mean for them.