“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.” – Abraham Lincoln

On Tuesday evening, 90+ young Philadelphians assembled at Triumph Brewery in Old City – but not just for microbrew drink specials. In the midst of a crucial election year, they came to better understand the importance of becoming involved in Philadelphia’s political scene.

Young Involved Philadelphia hosted the first event in the bi-annual Philly Politics 101/102 series. The impressive turnout of attendees signified that young Philadelphians already understand the urgency of their involvement in the issues impacting our city, state, and country. Young Involved Philadelphia organized this event as an opportunity for our demographic to learn more about the election process, voter registration, hot issues, key players, and how they can actually become involved.

Some admirable sponsors supported our event, including ElectNext. “It’s like eHarmony for elections” – and it really is. ElectNext was co-founded by Keya Dannenbaum and Paul Jungwirth with a mission to encourage people to cast an informed vote. ElectNext essentially matches up individuals with their appropriate political candidate based on where they stand on key political issues. It’s really that simple – log on to the site and answer a variety of questions on topics ranging from the economy, defense, energy, contraception, healthcare, immigration, and so on. Your responses to these questions generate the political candidates best suited for you, based on your views. So, rather than relying on your political party – or trying to filter through those negative campaign ads – we can actually become empowered and vote for representatives based on their political principles. How ‘bout that.

Keya Dannenbaum discussed the importance of our votes as individuals, and also on “wasted votes”. She pointed out a startling statistic – during the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary, the eligible voter turnout was 53%. However, during the 2011 Philadelphia Mayoral Primary, the eligible voter turnout was a mere 12%. Guilty of this myself, many residents will enthusiastically cast their presidential vote, but shy away from local politics, simply due to lack of information. Unfortunately, these “wasted votes” are imperative into shaping the community that we are a part of in on a day-to-day basis.

Also sponsoring the event was the Committee of Seventy, which is a Philadelphia-based not-for-profit, non-partisan organization that encourages a “better government, fair elections and an honest political culture.” Luke McKinstry from the Committee of Seventy spoke regarding Pennsylvania’s new voter ID law effective this November, which will require all voters to present identification each time they go to the polls. The Committee of Seventy hopes to educate voters on what they need to know regarding these changes, and encouraged us to spread the word so that the voice of our demographic continues to be heard.

Finally, we were fortunate to have City Commissioner Al Schmidt attend our event, along with Deputy Commissioner Tracey Gordon. Commissioner Schmidt encouraged us to become involved in making a change in Philadelphia – and to consider running (even against him!) for political office. He also encouraged the group to demand fair knowledge, and advised us to utilize the resources available at the City Commissioner’s office such as polling data and candidate information so that we can become informed and confident voters. Deputy Gordon encouraged us to spread the word to our demographic on how we can become involved in our political community via social media and our networking circles. I left the event persuaded that my informed vote is vital in promoting the change I would like to see in my city, and that, yes; even I could actually run for office someday.

Photos from the event, by Stephen St. Vincent
Keya Dannenbaum and Al Schmidt speeches, recorded by Salas Saraiya

For me, walking past this building every day causes me to stop for a moment to reflect on what I already know about politics within our city, but to also wonder about the unknown and how I can become more informed and even personally involved. I discussed some of my thoughts about government and politics with peers and co-workers over the past few weeks and received a myriad of responses that really forced me to believe that there is a demand and need for more political involvement among young professionals in Philadelphia.

Some of the most common things I heard were these: “Philadelphia politics are corrupt”, “We are the future politicians and people of America, so it is important to keep up with politics”, or “I try to follow politics but it’s so hard to know what is truth and what is a lie”. When I asked people whether or not they would personally want to become involved in our own local government, most people were very intimidated by the idea, but several others said that they would if they knew how to do this as a professional in a different field.

On March 27th, Young Involved Philadelphia will be hosting the first event of a bi-annual series called Philly Politics 101/102. This is an opportunity to learn, discuss, debate, and share knowledge regarding politics within our own city, as well as on a state and national level. It is a chance to grow in our knowledge, to encourage personal involvement in government, and to inspire curiosity in the political front amidst young people in Philadelphia. We want this to be accomplished in a vibrant and social manner; as a result, Philly Politics 101 will be hosted at the local Triumph Brewery in Old City Philadelphia, complete with appetizers and drink specials for all.

Why is this important to us? Whether we like it or not, politics and government are a strong governing factor in our lives. They have the power to change our policies, mindset, economy, and society on local and national levels. It is our present and our future. As young people in Philadelphia and America who want to have an impact, it is our responsibility to be active and knowledgeable in this vital part of our society. It is our hope that by encouraging interest in politics, promoting intelligent discussion, and allowing the opportunity to learn from individuals in the field that we may make more informed political decisions and have the ability to help better mold our city and country in the future.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Time: 6-9pm
Location: Triumph Brewery, located at 2nd and Chestnut Street in Philadelphia

Complimentary appetizers will be available, as well as drink specials
($3 select drafts, $4 house wine and $5 well drinks)

RSVP on Facebook

The Spruce Foundation was one of the organizations tabling that first night and right off the bat, their mission to serve at-risk youth in the Philadelphia region spoke to me. Having been bullied substantially as a queer kid, and knowing the particular issues of bullying, homelessness, and elevated suicide risk facing LGBT youth, I asked if Spruce had any specific programming in this area. Though they don’t (yet), I got a great answer from their board Chair, Ari Kushner.  He simply said, “We don’t. What should we be doing?” Our conversation didn’t end that night, and is one of the many reasons that I am excited to be serving on the Host Committee for the upcoming Spruce Foundation Five Year Anniversary Gala.

Spruce writes four grants annually to non-profit organizations serving at-risk youth, and also hold events similar to SOYP’s Community Engagement night throughout the year. These support the second part of their mission, which is to develop the next generation of philanthropists in the Philadelphia region. They do this by driving not only funds, but also volunteers and board members to these organizations. I attended one of these events soon after SOYP ended and after getting to hear from some amazing organizations working to improve education in Philly I was again impressed with all that Spruce does for at-risk youth.

I am looking forward to meeting new individuals and organizations at the gala and bringing new voices to the table, literally, by bringing my friends with me. Beyond the table that I’ve agreed to fill, I hope to see lots of folks in attendance that I’ve met and seen out at YIP events. And if you can’t get down for a good cause, well then get down for the views from the top of the PSFS building, great people, and great food and drinks. The kids will thank you for it. ;D

Tickets are available online and are only $85; VIP tickets are also available for $150. Your ticket purchase will go a long way to delivering funds, volunteers, and board members to the organizations doing the vital work of serving the next generation of Philadelphians.

Last week, we learned that Center City has witnessed a dramatic growth in the number of adults in their 20s and 30s, giving the City a vibrant new feel.

But yesterday’s article in the Inquirer makes clear that as more and more young people consider settling down and starting families, the quality of the Philadephia public school system becomes a real concern.

Ideally, we wouldn’t view this as a tradeoff – our commitment to our City versus our commitment to our kids. Rather than flee to the suburbs (where the perception is that schools are “better”), we need to be doing more to understand our options and ensure that our voices are heard in conversations around reforming the system.

To that end, this coming October (October 6th to be exact), Young Involved Philadelphia will convene what we hope will be the first among many conversations about the role of young parents in the future of Philadelphia schools. But there’s no sense in waiting to start the conversation….

What questions/concerns do you have when you consider settling down in the City and sending your kids to public schools?