2024 Trend That Jawn

On the evening of October 16, 2024, Philadelphians — from the city’s Youth Poet Laureate Malaya Ulan, to 6ABC Action News Anchor Rick Williams — took to the podium to inspire the youth vote. Vote That Jawn had taken over the Mayor’s Reception Room in the Philadelphia City Hall to #TrendThatJawn. 

Eight University of Pennsylvania students who assisted Vote That Jawn Director and Penn Professor Lorene Cary offer their reflections on some of their most memorable moments from the evening. 

At #TrendThatJawn, the vibrant energy was palpable right from the start. As I stood outside City Hall, I was pleasantly surprised by MadBeatz Philly, a coalition of young drummers from various Philadelphia communities, who infused the atmosphere with excitement and rhythm. The sounds from the drumline cut through the cold air, creating an exhilarating vibe that even had people dancing and cheering for voting. It was my first time witnessing such a joyful connection between music and political engagement, and even though they were playing the same tracks for quite a while, their infectious enthusiasm never waned. Thank you, MadBeatz, for reminding us how fun and energizing the fight for civic participation can be! 

- Daphnee Whitmore

Commissioner Lisa Deeley answered one of the attendees’s questions, “What drives an 18-year-old to vote?” this way: “We are going to vote not only for the president of the United States, which everyone is talking about,” but also the United States Senate and how voting for the senate can change your life in a more tangible and direct way. Then she said, “So, even though you might sit here right now at 17 or 18 — not thinking that there is too much to be concerned about and what does this matter to you — think about where you’ll be in six years!”   

That opened my eyes to a whole new perspective I will never forget. 

- Modar Kaddar

The Chair of the City Commissioners, Omar Sabir, rushed in, followed by his assistant, to take the podium. Amidst the pressures of the upcoming election, he thanked #VoteThatJawn, the students, and his fellow commissioners before discussing the difficulties of getting the vote out. He mentioned the surge of mail-in ballots in 2020 and election fraud accusations: “We were in the trenches y’all!” He leaned over to his “millennial coworker” Commissioner Bluestein to discuss the importance of the youth vote. They motivated teens and twenty-year-olds to turn out to the polls on election day before rushing out to do some final preparations for incoming mail-in-ballots this year. 

- Maisie Optenberg 

I didn’t know what to expect after City Commissioner Chair Omar Sabir went up to the podium. He was late to the event and very clearly in a hurry, so I didn’t expect more than a few passing words of encouragement. However, Sabir COMMANDED the energy of that room the whole time he was at the mic. You could feel the instant surge of energy in the room, and Commissioner Sabir provided the jumper cables. It was such a great feeling to see so much excitement surrounding youth civic engagement, and Commissioner Sabir made that possible. 

- Kyle Grgecic 

The #TrendThatJawn event was filled with memorable moments, but a certain high school teacher, Steven Greenbaum, from Friend Select, made a lasting impression. At every opportunity, he asked hard and pressing questions to each speaking group: the commissioners, the student leaders, and the professional journalists. He was well-informed on issues concerning youth voting, and asked essential questions, making the audience consider how many roadblocks prevent youth and other groups from voting. A specific example is when he asked the student leaders about SEPTA, and how student SEPTA passes end at 7:00 p.m., preventing students who stay at school late for extracurriculars and sports from getting to the polls. It was a hard question for the student leaders to answer, as they have limited power, but they remained dedicated to addressing the challenge in their responses. 

- Phoebe Weintraub

When Kenny Cooper, a journalist from WHYY, discussed attending different debate watch parties with young voters, he emphasized the fact that younger cohorts of voters have different beliefs about the most important topics of our current political climate in comparison to older voters. Consequently, he said, these topics are discussed much less frequently by our political leaders. This is why it's so important that young voters participate in democracy — to make our voices and policy concerns heard. 

- Brenna Cotter

I was in a random photo with members of the newspaper at The Baldwin School and City Commissioner Seth Bluestein. The same girls that I was in the photo with asked a very good question to Commissioner Blustein about how to spread the vote as a high school journalist. I think taking this photo stood out to me because the moment was unplanned. I had previously introduced the commissioners during the event. I thought it was funny that the photo was sort of completing the circle.

- Oliver Jackson

It was so incredible to connect with young people and adults across the city of Philadelphia who are all equally committed to this issue. With the election only weeks away, the event was central to showing young people that voting is not just powerful, but that it can be fun too! The musicianship of the MadBeatz drumline emphasized this spirit of fun, as they energetically chanted “Vote that Jawn!” in front of City Hall. The Drexel Jazztet also performed upbeat songs between speeches and panels. Music and merriment were central to the event, showing everyone in attendance how powerful shared community through activism can really be.

- Sonia Banker