On Oct. 7th, Austin Peay State University students gathered in Morgan University Center room 306 for a night of crafts and tacos. However, these weren’t just ordinary crafts.
Those who attended were provided with all the materials to make friendship bracelets, except these accessories were created to show off the social issues that were most important to them. The event also called for a discussion with Karen Reynolds and Allie Phillips, two democratic candidates running for state Senate District 22 and House District 75, respectively.
The students got to work creating colorful bracelets with powerful messages such as “Kids before Guns,” “Peace not War” and “Veterans Matter,” to name a few.
The students casually conversed with Reynolds and Phillips, proudly showing off their bracelets together and speaking freely about the issues they would love to see addressed in Tennessee.
The event organizers, Jessica Johnson from the Montgomery County Democratic Women’s Caucus and Toniah Anderson from the APSU College Democrats, mentioned that they aimed to encourage the students of APSU to stay informed, get engaged and vote. Jessica Johnson shared that the inspiration behind the idea came from the iconic pop singer Taylor Swift after she popularized the friendship bracelet culture.
“I asked, ‘What are we doing to engage college students?’ but I didn’t hear any concrete plans. So this year, during discussions with some other members of the women’s caucus, we talked about how we could reach out to college students enjoyably and engagingly. We recognized that politics can sometimes feel boring or overly contentious, which might make students hesitant to get involved,” said Johnson.
Brainstorming ways to get college students more involved, “One of the women suggested hosting a friendship bracelet-making event, inspired by her daughter’s interest in making them and Taylor Swift’s influence in popularizing the trend. We thought it was a great idea—an activity that’s both fun and approachable. Participants could engage in a creative activity that includes some commentary instead of just listening to politicians speak, which might not appeal to everyone. That was how the idea took shape,” said Johnson.
After the students settled in, the candidates spoke on what inspired them to become politicians. Karen Reynolds was the first to speak. She shared that she was tired of seeing people squander their ability to impact the community positively.
After 21 years of serving as an Army Master, Reynolds returned to Clarksville and became increasingly aware of many issues the state faces. She aims to voice the concerns of the unheard and fight against some of the pressing problems in Tennessee, including the abortion ban.
Allie Phillips then took center stage and shared her story with us. Phillips shared that she wasn’t even interested in politics until the day she was denied access to abortion herself. This life-changing event revealed the healthcare crisis women face in Tennessee and became a doorway to learning about all the state’s issues. She aims to fight for a solution to the healthcare crisis for women, veteran care, common sense gun legislation, affordable housing and raising the minimum wage.
The candidates’ stories resonated deeply with many students, sparking lively discussions and inspiring many to take action. The event transformed what might have been a typical political gathering into a space for creativity, engagement and meaningful dialogue.
