TULSA, Okla. — The upcoming election is at the top of many Oklahomans' minds.
A recent forum hosted at TCC’s Downtown Tulsa campus had the future in mind.
Mayoral Candidates Monroe Nichols and Karen Keith addressed students and faculty, laying out their plans to impact the students for years to come.
Young people are ready to make their voices heard. 2 News listened to three TCC students talk about their political involvement.
“Your involvement has much to do with the future of our country,” TCC second-year student Eli Missing said.
Missing is part of the TCC Society for Professional Journalists, which sponsored the event for students, by students. Even the moderators were students, like Semhar Asfaha.
“I think it’s really important to tell my generation that their vote is really important and their opinions matter,” Asfaha said, “Just because the decisions we make today will affect us tomorrow.”
Missing comes to Tulsa from New England, and Asfaha just moved to Tulsa from Ethiopia. Both say they love Tulsa but know there are areas to improve. They say it will take their fellow students to get involved.
TCC professor Patrick Green, J.D., told 2 News: mission accomplished.
“I do think students are gonna turn out. You know, they’re really interested in the issues, and both campaigns in this mayoral race have done a good job making it known what they believe in,” Green said, “Students are interested and learning and getting excited to vote.”
Nursing student Christian Cisneros made it out, too.
“[The candidates] spoke on a lot of things that I wasn’t aware of and now I am. I’m glad I came out to know what’s going on in my community because I didn’t know before and now I do,” Cisneros said.
Young people are ready to make their values, ideas and opinions known.
“How are we gonna continue to bring all those values, all those virtues, with us?” Missing said, “Or are we just gonna kind of, if we’re not involved, just let everything go amiss?”
The election is Nov. 5. Polls in Oklahoma are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Stay with 2 News for complete election coverage.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
