Jorge Mairena's "Elections Matter" Blog

                                                        Jorge Mairena's "Elections Matter" Blog    

    Our next group project dealt with the topic of “elections matter,” specifically with gender equality,

education policies, immigration policies, and the electorate and the election process. All the groups had to

create a brochure about the theme chosen and a presentation on the topic. The topics that the groups had 

to discuss were research devoted to the topics and their contributions, American vs. world perspectives, 

local and national associations, the history/overview, and interviews.

The first group to present was Group Four (composed of Yanny Ledesma, Tatyana Matallana, Najohlis 

Colmenares, Rachel Bardelas, Natalie Alarcon, and Geovany Tabares), and they handled the topic of 

gender equality. Geovany Tabares began with workplace discrimination and how workplace 

discrimination affects the United States and the rest of the world. I agree with Geovany; the 

workplace is a place where we go to make a living, and all coworkers are equal and should all have the 

same opportunities to progress through the ranks without fear of getting harassed or discriminated against.

Yanny Ledesma went over leadership representation and how it should encompass all genders regardless 

of ethnicity or background. I agree with Yanny; leadership shouldn’t just be determined by your gender 

but by whether or not you are qualified to hold that leadership position and elevate those that you lead. 

Tatyana Matallana went over how equal opportunities and access to higher education are key to gender 

equality. I agree with Tatyana; education, now more than ever, is extremely important, and making sure 

that all genders, ethnicities, and income backgrounds receive equal opportunities to a higher education to 

curb the hate and misinformation that is permeating the country. Najohlis Colmenares discussed the 

cultural norms and stereotypes of men and women in the United States and the world and how stereotypes 

can create barriers. I agree with Najohlis; a lot of right-wing talking points paint women as the people in 

charge of cleaning and cooking and being submissive to their husbands, which I find just completely 

absurd. Natalie Alarcon discussed violence against women and how we can prevent this violence. While I 

agree with Natalie, I also believe that she should have mentioned that violence against men from females 

can also occur. Rachel Bardelas went over health inequalities and how they stem from differences in 

income, education, and geographic locations. I liked the points that Rachel went over and agree that one of

the most pressing issues in the current election is abortion and how some states deal with more restrictive 

laws when, in reality, people should have the freedom of choice. 

    The next group to present was Group Three (composed of Krysten Castaner-Molina, Melany Perez, 

Lauren Aguiar, Kevin Dorta, Leily Rivero, and Kayla Keddon), and they handled the topic of the 

electorate and the election process. Kayla Keddon began with local/national associations and 

organizations such as neighborhood watch programs, church-based organizations, advocacy groups, 

political parties, and advocacy groups. I agree with Kayla, as these groups educate citizens about the 

importance of getting their votes out, so long as they aren’t spreading misinformation or lying to make 

their side look better. Next was the history/overview of the electorate and election process by Kevin Dorta,

who went from the 18th century to the present. I agree with Kevin; history shows that voting has always 

been important and should be available to everyone regardless of race or gender. Krysten Castanet-Molina

went over the importance of the electorate and the election process to our country. I agree with Krysten; 

the Electoral College does contribute to political stability, although the only thing I’m confused about is 

why the candidate with the most popular vote doesn’t outright win. Leily Rivero went over influential 

presidents and the historians who shaped history. I agree with Leily; the usual suspects of Washington, 

Lincoln, and FDR were some of the most influential and popular presidents of their time, and there’s a 

reason that their names continuously pop up, even today. Melany Perez and Lauren Aguiar discussed the 

topic of voter opinions. I agree with both Melany and Lauren; it is important that, as voters, our opinions 

and concerns are being heard, I also like how Lauren addressed my question earlier about how the 

Electoral College doesn’t reflect the popular vote and how this can create tension.

    The third group to present was my group, Group Two. Group Two was tasked with discussing education

policies. I won’t be going over my group’s parts and will just discuss my thoughts on education policies. 

In my opinion, I believe that education is extremely important as it allows us to think critically, and in this 

day and age where misinformation is easily spread, it’s more important than ever. At the end of my part, I 

discuss a bit about how Donald Trump’s policy differs vs. Kamala Harris’s. In my opinion, I believe that 

Kamala Harris has better policies as they attempt to better the lives of those pursuing an education. 

Trump’s policies have no substance, as he wants to limit federal oversight over education yet wants to 

police what those schools teach. It is hypocritical and just checkboxes to appeal to his voting base. 

    The final group to present was Group One (composed of Anna Granda, Alyssa Betancourt, Drew Raph-

Lundeen, Alexander Redondo, Dashka Louidor, and Aron Cava), and they handled the topic of 

immigration. Alexander Redondo began with immigration in America vs. the world. Alexander’s part was 

good and highlighted how other countries are more accepting of immigration, whereas, in the United 

States, people like Trump tend to try to fearmonger and paint immigration as this massive evil force, even 

though the United States has always been a melting pot of different cultures. Dashka Louidor and Aron 

Cara briefly discussed what immigration policies are. Alyssa Betancourt discussed the historical 

perspective of immigration. I agree with Alyssa; sometimes, factors out of our control force us to move to 

another country, and we should welcome those people with open arms. Anna Granda discussed the legal 

process of immigration. Anna had some good information on the legal process for entering the United 

States and the steps for this process. Drew Raph-Lundeen discussed the effects of immigration on the 

economy. I agree with Drew; essentially, I liked how she highlighted how a lot of the fears of immigration 

come from fearmongering and misinformation. 

    Overall, I felt everyone did a great job with their parts. Everyone brought up some interesting points 

and topics to the discussion. Of all the groups, I really enjoyed Group Four the most, as I felt everyone did

great research, and their presentation was very well put together.