On February 26, I had the privilege of facilitating the Elect Her–Campus Women Win training at Loyola University in New Orleans. The diversity in the room was amazing in terms of race and ethnicity (African American, Arab, Latina, and white), personalities (extroverts and introverts), academic majors (business, communications, international studies, and political science), and aspirations (school board, city council, state representative, and secretary of state).
The student and faculty organizers at Loyola put together a great agenda. Newly elected New Orleans Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer confirmed that she was one of the many women who had not considered running until someone asked her. “I never saw myself as a politician,” she said. “But I came to realize that being a councilmember could be a more effective extension of who I already am and what I was already doing.” She also urged potential candidates to take advantage of the unique organizing and fundraising resources more available to women: stay-at-home moms. “Those moms are fierce!” she said.
Camille Whitworth, co-anchor of WDSU news in New Orleans, affirmed the power of a good message. “I’ve covered some pretty colorful candidates, ones that make the news for all the wrong reasons,” she said. “If you say something crazy or that contradicts something you said earlier, we are going to ask you about it.” She went on to say that “in my experience, the best candidates are the ones who have a consistent message. Yes, it can be very boring for us reporters, but we understand the strategy.”
The star of the training was 7-year-old Hrilina, a very curious and confident second grader. Her mother Pooja, a law student, felt it was very important for Hrilina to come along. “I missed the training last year, so I was very excited when I saw the flyer. I think this is information every woman should have. My daughter is already experiencing challenges in school because she is a girl, so I want her to be exposed to this early,” she said.
Well, Hrilina got the message! She was the first-place winner of the campaign simulation, securing 29 votes in only 15 minutes.
All in all, the Elect Her–Campus Women Win training at Loyola was a roaring success and a lot of fun. I can say with confidence that I have seen the future of women in politics, and it is a very bright future indeed.
This post was written by Running Start board member Tara Andrews.
