PA's Moment to Shine: One month away from our primary

Thank God for Spring Break! As much as I love the fast paced, intenseness of this program, I really needed a chance to recharge. Though, for people like me who thrive off of packed schedules, relaxing does not look like the standard vacation package. I headed to Center City to the headquarters of one of the political campaigns and helped the voter registration effort. This is the first time in my lifetime that Pennsylvania’s participation in the primary will actually matter. As a swing state that receives a fair amount of attention during presidential elections, it is a shame that our diverse choir of voices is usually a day late and a dollar short when it comes to deciding upon the candidates. Now, for the first time in recent history, our comparatively late primary election is national news.

It was really exciting to spend a week behind the scenes and on the streets. There are a lot of dedicated voters out there that are determined to register as many people as they can for the April 22 primary. Even though I was volunteering for a particular campaign, the registration effort was non-partisan so it felt good to be a part of an effort that helped all types of voters.

Though I started to take it personally when people wouldn't stop to register to vote. One student, when asked if she were registered to vote on campus, smugly replied, "Not interested."

I actually yelled at her, "Oh, not a fan of Democracy? I see. Yeah, I guess it's overrated." It was at the end of a long shift standing outside on the Spring Equinox, which for Philadelphia means about 40 degrees. I know that yelling at people probably isn't the best tactic but it sure felt good.

Plus, this opportunity allowed me a chance to travel around Philadelphia. With our packed schedules, it is a miracle when I am not teaching, at class or glued to a bulk pack.

I kept thinking about how I was going to explain the presidential candidate nomination process to the fifth graders! They know the names, they hear what their parents say, but I think they might be confused with why this looks like the actual election. So despite the fact that I am still sleep deprived and still have loads of work to do, I can honestly say that the break effectively recharged my teaching senses.