With the Texas voter registration deadline a month away, the Republican National Committee plans to host its first ever two-day midterm convention in Dallas at the American Airlines Center. For UTD students, the major campaign event may be an opportunity to engage directly with politics.
The RNC convention is scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10, wherein 109 keynote speakers will be in attendance, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The convention is an effort to demonstrate the “strength of the Republican party and its slate of candidates” before the November midterm elections.
For some students, the convention is a strong force shaping how registration and turnout will transpire — whether that be by voting, volunteering, protesting or using the event as motivation to stay informed.
Aracely Oquendo, junior political science major and President of UTD College Democrats, will be attending the We the People rally in Dallas City Hall Plaza along with officers of the organization. The event, hosted by Dallas County Democrats and coalition partners in response to the republican convention, is set to take place on Sept. 10, the second day of the convention.
“[Democrats are] trying to host their own event and rally their own people, just like the GOP convention is supposed to do for the republicans in Texas,” Oquendo said.
Oquendo says that a convention being held for the first time ahead of the midterm elections is extremely important in the current political climate, but the organization’s focus will remain on student outreach and education.
“Some students might not even know about the GOP convention or what that is or what that means,” Oquendo said. “We just plan to educate students as much as we can.”
The midterm event is also expected to draw in a protest by Dallas activists like Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition and La Rabia DFW, who have announced plans for a march on the Republican convention on Sept. 10. The organizations have been mobilizing around the event to protest the Trump administration and its policies.
The march is planned to begin on Harry Hines Blvd. and will continue toward the American Airlines Center. Although the city of Dallas has taken down the permit to protest, the activist organizations will “not back down.”
Political science sophomore Anointing Okereke says that more change can happen if people understood the importance of mobilizing and the many efforts that are being done to change the outcome of the midterm elections.
“This midterm can be tremendous for Texas,” Okereke said. “Any type of political activism, no matter who is doing it, influences the outcome.”
Others may view the event differently. While significant attention is on the developments, not every student sees the convention or rally as an effective form of spreading political awareness. Dean Omeodu, animation and games freshman, says that he believes elections, their effects on people and education should be a priority.
“I don’t think the protest would do anything,” Omeodu said. “I’m not trying to be hopeless — the Republican party is very aggressive, and the other party, Democrats, they aren’t aggressive enough.”
Omeodu says that change happens over time — generations upon generations of education where people can have a more open understanding of what political priorities should look like. He says that politicians are a reflection of the population, and although some things may be difficult to change, bringing awareness is important.
“Over time, things could get better, but it’s not just voting,” Omeodu said. “You have to be very aggressive with what [people] want, truly.”
Political events bring attention to issues that people care about, yet many students remain disengaged in the political scene. Finance junior Ashwill Varghese says that large-scale events can bring people to share different perspectives and ideas with like-minded people; however, she will not be engaging in either event.
“I have a lot of school and work I have to focus on,” Varghese said. “I would not want to engage in something that’s not near me, and I don’t have the time.”
Varying student responses reflect the local reach these large-scale events bring by gaining supporters, opponents and observers alike. While the turnout is unknown, all eyes will be on Dallas with what may be a turning point in the race for the midterm elections.