The Iowa State Department of Music and Theatre hosted Jumbo Jazz Night, a jazz event designed to get students’ vote registration completed before the upcoming presidential election.
Michael Giles, assistant professor at the music department, transformed this year’s first Jazz Night into an opportunity to impact students’ futures.
Since last semester, Giles curated a set list of patriotic jazz pieces, including “Freedom is a Voice” and “Ballot Box Bounce,” to accompany the night’s theme. Collaborating with the ISU Carrie Chapman Catt Center, a table for students to register to vote was set up outside the doors of the Martha Ellen Tye Recital Hall on campus.
Carrie-Ann Johnson, associate director of outreach and communication for the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, emphasized the event’s primary goal.
“They’re playing patriotic jazz music through the jazz band, and so to accompany that, they wanted to show patriotism by inviting us to be here to register voters,” Johnson said.
Interns from the Carrie Chapman Catt Center were on hand to guide and inform students about the process of voting.
“It’s a lot of students’ first time voting in an election, and all of us come from different walks of life and majors,” said Delaney Graef, a junior majoring in forestry. “There are so many different policies out there that lawmakers are deciding on that affect our majors and the job fields that we are all pursuing. That’s why voting, even just on local politics, is so important for students.”
Paola Martinez, a senior in political science, viewed the event as a great opportunity to get students engaged in taking democratic action.
“It’s exciting for students to take the step to be involved with a Jazz night; it just gives us an opportunity for people that are willing to come and get them even further into it,” Martinez said.
In the past, Giles has hosted Pride and AAPI concerts to celebrate the diverse identities within the program.
“I like to theme the concerts and use the platform for an opportunity to share awareness on certain subjects,” Giles said. “It’s a unique opportunity to get double duty out of a performance.”
