SalveVotes gives students a forum to explore law, justice and advocacy

"If you want to live in a village, you’ve got to be a villager."

For Elodie Chery '28, president of SalveVotes, civic engagement doesn't have to mean running for office, debating politics or even joining a club. Sometimes, it starts with something simpler: being an active member of the community around you.

"Don't think of it as a separate thing you have to do in your life," Chery said. "It's just living your life in a community setting, being a part of that community."

That philosophy is at the heart of SalveVotes, a student-led, nonpartisan organization working to make civic participation more accessible to students of all majors, backgrounds and political perspectives.

With Rhode Island's November elections approaching, Chery and vice president Jack Butler '28 are encouraging their peers to recognize the influence they have, both at the ballot box and beyond it. Their efforts come into focus Tuesday, Oct. 27, during Salve's third annual Civic Engagement Day, where students can explore careers in public service and discover how their interests can translate into meaningful action by connecting with community leaders.

Finding a place in the conversation

For Chery, a political science major and finance minor, and Butler, an accounting major with minors in political science and finance, involvement in SalveVotes grew naturally from their academic interests and experiences on campus.

Both students became involved with SalveVotes through their work as Civic LEAD fellows, eventually stepping into leadership roles as the existing SalveVotes coalition developed a more student-driven presence on campus.

"Sometimes college students and young people in general overlook the influence they have on voting, and the impact they can have in their communities. So being able to provide a space where we can actually break down that impact is really important," shared Chery.

Part of the national ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, the coalition worked to increase student civic engagement and voter participation. As a club, SalveVotes builds on that foundation through voter registration drives, educational programming, student discussions and opportunities to connect with organizations throughout Newport and Rhode Island.

Unlike politically affiliated student organizations, SalveVotes is intentionally nonpartisan. Its leaders want students to know that they don't have to share the same political beliefs, or even be particularly interested in politics, to find a place in the conversation.

"We've seen on college campuses that oftentimes when something receives a partisan assignment to it, attendance and participation can struggle as a result of that," said Butler. "So serving as nonpartisan to be able to provide this education on both voting and civic engagement as a whole can be really effective."

Starting close to home

While voting remains a central focus of SalveVotes, Chery and Butler are equally interested in helping students understand the many ways they can contribute to their communities.

"Sometimes, that means writing to elected representatives, volunteering with local nonprofits or learning about issues affecting their hometowns. Other times, it means stopping by a table on campus or having a conversation with a classmate," shared Chery.

Through initiatives such as Democracy and Donuts, voter registration drives and informal outreach, SalveVotes aims to make those first steps less intimidating.

Chery has seen how meaningful even small interactions can be. This year, she helped her roommate register to vote, while a campus voter registration event introduced other students to voting resources and procedures they hadn't previously known about.

For Butler, the most important first step is simply becoming informed.

"You don't have to climb the mountain in a day," he said. "You can start with something as simple as just reading the news and staying informed, so that you have a baseline to then move forward."

Chery added, "Even if it's just having small conversations with your friends, if it's stopping by a policy-focused event for five minutes because you don't have time, that's enough. That counts and that is something. It has value."

That approach reflects something larger about civic engagement at Salve, where the University's mercy mission emphasizes service and community.

"We have social responsibility built-in as a member of the Salve community. It’s engrained in us to give back and provide for the community," Butler said. "The mission provides a strong avenue into the club, especially for students who may feel lost in how to help and how to give back."

Bringing civic engagement into focus

That broader understanding of civic participation is also shaping this year's Civic Engagement Day.

Now in its third year, the event is hosted by SalveVotes in partnership with the Pell Center, McKillop Library and Dr. Mary Anderson, the David and Carolyn Brodsky Chair in U.S. Constitutional Democracy and Culture.

This year's theme, "Law, Justice and Advocacy," explores how students of all majors can pursue meaningful work in public service and their communities.

The afternoon features a panel on careers in public service, followed by roundtable discussions with professionals including Akeia de Barros Gomes, executive director of the Newport Center for Black History, and Maria Barragan '26, succession planner at Conexión Latina Newport. Students can also connect with local and national organizations during a networking session.

"I think the variety of fields and speakers is demonstrating to students that there are different avenues you can go about civic engagement," Butler said. "Which is important for people who know they want to help but are unsure how they would be able to in the future."

With Election Day approaching, Chery hopes the event encourages students to recognize how issues affecting their communities connect to their own lives – and what they can do about them.

"The simple act of sparking conversations is our goal with Civic Engagement Day," said Chery. "It should have people thinking, 'You know what? Yeah, this is going on in my community. This is happening in my personal life. So maybe if I do vote, this will change certain outcomes in my reality.' We want to take conversation and put it into action."