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Barton Bulldogs Engaged In Public Life Across The Political Spectrum

Barton College’s vision is for our students to lead boldly. Here are just three examples of Barton Bulldogs engaged in public life across the political spectrum.

Marcella Medley is a mass communications major at Barton College. She serves as vice president of the Minority Student Association and the Women and Gender Studies Club. She also is a student ambassador and open house coordinator for the Office of Admissions.

Unlike other students my age, I did not spend my summer tanning on a beach or doing a normal job. I spent all summer interning with Democracy North Carolina, a nonprofit, non-partisan political organization. This internship had nothing to do with my Mass Communications – Audio Recording Technology major, but politics has been one of my passions for a long time. There is a huge election coming up and a lot of bad things happened in the state this last year that affected our right to vote. Our organization was one of many at the forefront of the pushback against voter ID and the cuts to early voting days. Basically, I spent three months traveling all over Northeastern North Carolina getting people prepared for the election. I registered voters, I worked with faith communities on voter education, and I attended Board of Elections meetings to advocate for better early voting plans. Halfway through the summer, I went to the NC General Assembly to garner support from state legislators for everything from redistricting to voter ID laws. On the very last day of my internship, the Fourth Circuit Court overturned the laws that had done so much damage, and that was the most rewarding feeling to know that my work this summer really changed something. My work with Democracy NC will continue this fall, right here on Barton’s campus, as I push to get my fellow students more involved in the political process. I want the students here to play a major role in shaping the world for which the College is preparing us.

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Omar Gonzalez is a business administration and sport management double major. He is a member of the Barton College men’s soccer team. He also serves on campus as an orientation leader in the Office of Student Affairs and as a student ambassador in the Office of Admissions. And, he volunteers with Wilson Communities in Schools.

My job with District 8 Representative Susan Martin in the North Carolina House of Representatives included the grassroots portion of her re-election campaign. I organized volunteers, got to travel with her and sometimes served as a representative for her at various community events. And, I had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience going door to door to share information with voters about Rep. Martin and her work for North Carolina. It has been great to be involved with a legislator who serves such a valuable role within our community. The experience has been phenomenal for me, to say the least. I’ve met some very influential leaders and have hopefully laid groundwork for my future career plans.

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Gabe Farris is a business administration major and an honors student. He was a member of the 2015 Ethics Team that won 2nd place in its inaugural competition in the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) Ethics Bowl, and he won 2nd place during his freshman year in the School of Business Innovation Competition. He also served a two-year presidency for the Barton College Catholic Ministry and currently serves as treasurer.

This summer, I worked with Dr. Gregory Murphy in the North Carolina House of Representatives in Raleigh. The internship was a great experience, helping me gain new knowledge about the political system as a whole. It was extremely interesting to sit in on multiple House Sessions and learn the processes for certain bills and how they become law. Apart from sessions, I also attended multiple committee meetings seeing how the bills that come onto the floor are made. I helped Dr. Murphy with multiple bills pertaining to the medical field, and watched them go through these same committee meetings. I am so grateful for the opportunity provided to me this summer, and I am most appreciative of this opportunity Dr. Murphy provided.

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