by Karis Hudgins 

As the countdown to the 2024 presidential election continues, candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have fallen into a tight race. With polls highlighting the uttermost importance of every vote, the outcome of this election is in the hands of young voters, including many students at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. As early voting came to a close, Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz made an appearance on campus, urging students to exercise their voting rights before Nov. 5.  

Walz’s visit was hosted by the UNCG College Democrats and the NAACP Collegiate Chapter on Oct. 30, drawing an electric crowd to the EUC Cone Ballroom. The event lasted two and half hours, creating a buzz of excitement and prompting additional security on campus.  

Throughout his speech, Walz emphasized the privilege of taking part in our democracy and focused on the significant influence young voters hold in this 2024 election. Repeating the Harris Walz campaign slogan, the crowd displayed signs reading “When we vote, we win,” the exact message Walz strived to communicate. And it was heard loud and clear. Elijah Bartlett, a third-year student present at the event, remarked, “Walz’s message to everyone in the room was very clear: go out and vote.”  

Christopher Vlassis, President of the UNCG College Democrats, reported that the event far exceeded the expected 100 attendees. “There were so many people that wanted to come that secret service had to turn some away because of capacity,” Vlassis explained. “But a lot of people still waited outside the ballroom.”  

Although the event was originally limited to UNCG students, it also attracted several prominent North Carolina representatives. In attendance were board members of both organizations, College Democrats and NAACP, Congresswoman Kathy Manning and Elijah King, 3^rd Vice Chair of the NC Democratic Party, as well as multiple press members. 

Voting anxiety, especially for young voters, is quite real and can often discourage first time voters from showing up to the polls. Bartlett shared Walz’s response to this. “He said, ‘The only anecdote to anxiety is action.’ That was powerful to me because it signified again how important this election is for a lot of young voters like myself,” he stated. 

Following Walz’s speech, student leaders guided groups to the Leonard J. Kaplan Center, UNCG’s on-campus early voting site. “As Tim Walz and I walked out, I honestly couldn’t hear what he said to me because of how loud the cheers were,” Vlassis recalled, illustrating the impact Walz made. 

While speaking with Bartlett about his experience of listening to Walz’s speech, he shared something many attendees seemed to have resonated with. “When you hear people say he’s like America’s dad, it truly felt that way. It was a surreal moment for me as soon as he stepped into the room,” Bartlett commented. 

Governor Walz’s visit to the UNCG campus came at a crucial moment for the 2024 presidential election, reinforcing the importance of students using their voices. The response to this event and energy it sparked on campus serves as a strong example that students at the University of North Carolina Greensboro are determined to have their voices be heard this election. As Walz signified, young voters hold the key and power to shape the future, which all starts with a vote.