And by party, we mean gather with a couple hundred of your new best friends (at least for a few hours) for a night of nonstop entertainment with a political twist. We don’t mean political as in Trump vs. Clinton (vs. Gary Johnson?). In fact, the Political Party is completely nonpartisan. No candidates or campaigns will be part of our program, and our event is intended to be entirely issues-based with some entertainment woven in.
Even if you aren’t thinking about candidates, literally everything is political. Who builds our roads? How is money allocated for your new classroom, or dorm, or rock-climbing wall? Everything is political, and the most change happens at the local level — so how are you going to make your voice heard?
Each of us has a list of issues we care about. These issues overlap among communities quite often; we all have more in common than we realize. Alexandria is a student at Iowa originally from Nebraska. Veronica is a small business owner originally from Virginia. We share concerns about income inequality, education, and access to healthy food options. We both have a passion for defending your right to control your own body. Even though we met just last summer, these shared interests are what inspired us to collaborate on the Political Party and are just a few of the ways we connect to others in our Iowa City community. Whether you will call Iowa City home for four years or plan to settle here for the next 40, it is important to do what we can to improve the community we live in while we’re here.
Engaging in your community is much more than angrily writing a Facebook post or hate-watching speeches given by your least favorite political candidate. While both of those have their merits, engaging in your community means finding an issue that keeps you up at night or makes your heart race (or both) and focusing on changing it whenever you have the time. Yes, we are all full-time students or workers. Yes, we all have family and personal demands. Donating a few hours a week or a couple nights a month is all that it takes; the connections you will create, experiences you will have, and changes you will inspire will be more than worth your time.
Joining us on Friday is the first step. Sure, it’s a party, but it’s a party with a purpose. We’ll have free beer (for those of age), DJs, and performances by local musical acts, spoken word poetry, live art, and an after-party at the Mill (also free if you register for the event). The party is just the start of something new and exciting. We want you to be among the first to get connected with action-oriented efforts to improve our community, our country, and our world. We want you to make friends with others who share your concerns about the environment, income inequality, the influence of “Big Money,” reproductive rights, and more.
Iowa City is one of the greatest towns in this country. Its culture and atmosphere make it perfect for unique artistic, educational, and professional opportunities. But like any other American town, it definitely has its flaws (a few just popped into your head, didn’t they?), none of which are too small or too large to fight for. Whether you are 18 or 40, we challenge you to help improve our home for the next generation. Because if we don’t, who will? Change begins with you.
Search for the Political Party: Iowa City on Facebook to register to attend the event (it’s free).
— by Alexandria Yakes and Veronica Tessler