By Will Gilson, Currier Times Staff///

The 2024 Presidential Election between former-President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is rapidly approaching. While it’s not November yet, voters can still cast their ballots through early voting, and the Curry community is interested.

“Maybe a few weeks beforehand I might catch up on all the information so I can vote,” says first-year Biology major, Yamim Issa, a first-time voter.

Since the start of the semester, Curry has been promoting voter engagement among students with a QR Code. Jeannette Buntin, the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, mentions the QR Code has information on voter registration, planned activities to promote voter turnout, and several speakers coming to campus to provide education on the issues during this election.

“We are putting together a number of activities to both educate students on some of the issues that are happening in the upcoming election,” Buntin said. “We’ve collaborated with one of our favorite taco trucks that come to campus, and if students can prove they’re registered to vote, they can get a free taco.”

Buntin also mentions the different ways students can cast their vote.

“Anyone who is registered to vote here as they put Curry College down, we’ll be providing a shuttle all day to Milton High School where students can go vote,” Buntin said. “But if they still want to do an absentee ballot, they have until October 26th.”

Voting-aged students across campus have already started following the issues, and each candidate. Jessica Noel, a first-year Nursing major, cares about human rights and plans on voting for Kamala Harris.

“Just like people’s rights in general,” Noel said. “I feel like with Trump they’re in jeopardy.”

Students have also been discussing the upcoming election in their classes, primarily in Professor of History Bill Nancarrow’s P&H 3350 Electing the President course, which he’s been teaching over the past decade.

“We started in 2012, and we’ve done every presidential election since 2012, and I did the midterm election in 2018 with another colleague,” Nancarrow said. “Two years ago, she and I tag teamed on the midterm class as well.”

Nancarrow goes into detail about how the class is run in which students pick one of the battleground states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina), and do a variety of projects focused on each state.

“The expectation is that they’re gonna check in with those states everyday,” Nancarrow said. “What are we learning about our state and this everyday?”

Professor Nancarrow’s class will be sharing their analysis on each state live during election night when Curry’s radio station, WMLN-FM 91.5 broadcasts the election.

WMLN’s News Director, Alex Nason, shares the importance of broadcasting the big night to the Greater Boston area.

“I am hoping that covering the election and any stories related to it can bring the community a source of knowledge that could help inform listeners’ decision as to whom they might vote for in November,” Nason said. “I am hoping that covering the election and any stories related to it can bring the community a source of knowledge that could help inform listeners’ decision as to whom they might vote for in November.”

As for some students, they have already decided who they are voting for. First-year Fire Science major, Kaleb Couture, who cares about the economy and interest rates for student loans, plans on voting for Donald Trump.

“Right now the loan interests are really high,” Couture said. “And when Trump was the president before, they were really low.”

Make sure you register to vote before November 5th. For information about where/how to vote based on your state, be sure to visit the US GOV website or All In To Vote.