Audrey Arandas: Alumna with a voting mission

FIU alumna, student leader and activist Audrey Arandas encourages students to get involved in the voting progress through the local non-partisan organization, Engage Miami. With a  degree in women’s and gender studies, political science and international relations, Arandas is “all about feminist activism.”

She says that her experiences at FIU as part of the National Organization for Women, the Women’s Studies Student Association, the Generation Action group, as well as her work in the women’s center on campus have driven her to where she is now and toward her future.

“I did all these things not only as an activist, but to also educate people so that things would change. Not only within FIU but beyond,” said Arandas.

At the University, she was able to get involved and pursue her passion. “FIU got me here through not only the organizations I was a part of, but also through the amazing professors and programs here. I learned so much throughout my courses, I guess you can say I got ‘woke.’”

Currently working as an organizer for the Engage Miami team, a local non-profit, non-partisan organization “seeking to increase millennial involvement in local and general politics,” Arandas has come across concerning issues with university-age students who are apathetic toward the voting process and overall election, she hopes to change that.

“We’re trying to also get Miami out there and ‘woke’. Let’s get all of us registered and ready to vote. Let’s get everyone aware of what’s going on in our community,” said Arandas. “Let’s just get everyone ready.”

Efforts on campus, such as the Student Government Association’s “Roar to the Polls,” are made to motivate students and get them involved in the process. Arandas and her co-workers are on campus as well, trying to get students to sign up to get their voices heard.

Arandas explains that having her voice heard through her vote is not just a civic duty, but a right that was finally given to certain groups after years of protest.

“… So many sacrificed so much just so we may get out there and vote,” Arandas said. “Voting is very much a way for me to take up the space that, for a long time, this country didn’t want me to take up. So, it’s my way of telling the status-quo, ‘Hey! I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.’”

Despite many efforts surrounding them, many students are simply uninterested in participating in the voting process.

“A lot of people are apathetic toward voting but when ‘bad’ legislation or a ‘bad’ politician gets out — they’re all about complaining and hating everything.” Arandas said. “It’s very hard to get people to register when they say they don’t ‘have time’, or it doesn’t matter, or they’ll do it another time.”

Arandas highlights the conflicting behavior of those who complain when dissatisfied with the government or the political climate but are unwilling to participate in elections. She asserts that the registration process is not long, “it takes longer to catch a Pokémon.”

“A lot of students complain that this should be an online procedure, so the ability to do this online may help,” Arandas said. “However, there are currently so many people out there registering people to vote, there’s no excuse to not be registered.”

Aside from working with Engage Miami, Arandas has more plans for the future.

“I am currently working with my friend to create a Miami feminist podcast and website catering to the local Miami wom@n (sic). And through that, a bunch of us feminist activists are trying to create a Miami feminist coalition — it’s very exciting.” Arandas said.

Photo courtesy of National Organization for Women on Instagram.
Audrey Arandas and fellow Women Who Lead at the 2016 event