A campus event Nov. 12 enlightened students about the diverse voting rights established across countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, America and Nigeria.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s First-Year Experience and Student Life offices hosted their Voting Around the World event in the Central Academic Building (CAB) courtyard.
Six tables representing six countries were set up with flyers, posters and tri-fold presentation boards containing information about each country. Students were admitted into the event via their JagSync QR code and were given a checklist with six countries listed.
Each booth’s host would stamp the students’ papers after watching and learning about each country.
Magda Talavera, administrative coordinator for the First-Year Experience program, said the focus of the event is to “educate the campus community about voting rights and to advocate for themselves.”
“We decided on this theme due to the election year. Despite it being after the American election, it is still a valuable reflection time for students,” Talavera said.
Student peer leaders spend time in the summer to plan fall events to have adequate time and effort put into each hosting. Each booth had a speaker, many of which were peer leaders, to present the information about their respective countries.
Costa Rica displayed information about the government type, a democratic republic, and their strict abortion policies. Federal republic, the government of Nigeria, has a document called the 99 constitution which allows the country to draw authority.
Jacob Reeves, peer leader for the First-Year Experience organization and representative for the American booth, said that events similar to this one have been in planning since July 2024. In the spring of 2023, a similar event was held, focusing on voting in general.
Each booth had more to offer than just information surrounding electoral laws. Each country’s booth featured a treat popular among its citizens.
Menudo, a staple dish of Mexico, was served to students while vegemite crackers were given out from the table representing Australia. Costa Rica served flan, New Zealand, Nigeria and America gave out a variety of candies from the regions.
“We decided to serve American staple candy for students, featuring the saltwater taffy and the Dum-Dums lollipops,” Reeves said. “We wanted to provide candies that we know are common classics in American culture.”
Reeves included that the programs would like to continue to host events similar to this in the future for the students, especially the first-year audience. Each year’s themes can be similar, yet still have their own unique experience.
Students moved from table to table, laughing and eating treats, gathering to learn about each country. As the event went on, more and more students filled the courtyard forming lines soon after the start time.
Some of the newcomers joined simply because of visual interest and curiosity about the event’s setup. Students like Michael Mikhail, a business management sophomore, awaited the event’s start after seeing the staff’s preparation efforts.
“I noticed them putting up tables and was curious about what event was happening,” Mikhail said. “They told me to wait until 11:30 a.m. for it to start.”
He explained that he is from Egypt and how this event was interesting for him to learn more about other countries other than America. “I’m having a great time and there are all these fun treats that I have never heard of for me to try,” Mikhail said.
Despite the event being hosted by the First-Year Experience organization, the event was to be enjoyed by all, said Reeves. All majors and class levels were encouraged to attend and become more aware of different voting rights beyond their own country.
The first-year experience program hosts numerous events throughout the school year to help those completing their first semester feel more welcome. Reeves said the goal is to help new college students succeed year-round.
