By Carson Reeher

Special to The Farmville Herald

On March 23, Longwood University and classrooms across America recognized the anniversary of the 26th Amendment by celebrating “Democracy Day.” 

The day commemorates the fact that, in 1971, the U.S. government passed an amendment that dropped the voting age from 21 to 18.

Longwood participated by holding a rally on Brock Commons to encourage students to vote and by hosting Reggie Love, a former assistant to U.S. President Barack Obama, who shared his insights.

Longwood student Maribeth Stotler-Watkins, who serves as a committee chair for the upcoming vice presidential debate, helped plan the event.

“We thought, ‘What would be better than having a campuswide event, getting people to register, pledge to vote?’” she said. “My committee and I, we sort of put our heads together and came up with this event. I think it’s working pretty well actually. We have had a lot of positive feedback.”

Later in the day, Love’s speech focused not only on his impressive career at the White House but choices he made along the way.

He shared stories of his college years, including times when he was played football and basketball for Duke University and how he failed to achieve success in the NFL.

Love said that it was his post-college experience working as a staff assistant for then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama that later gave him the connections to become the “body man” to the President of the United States. 

In this role, Love said he went with the president everywhere and made necessary arrangements in regards to lodging, reservations, transportation and any other needs that Obama had. 

Love said he took the job, not for the glory, but because he believes in public service. More in-depth information about his three years in the White House working with president can be found in his book, “Power Forward: My Presidential Education.”

He concluded by saying, “the American political process is a great thing, and there’s a lot of importance in being in it.”

Longwood hosted the event as a way to inspire the student body to become more involved with politics and to initiate a season of political importance.

President W. Taylor Reveley IV said, “It’s a great thing to celebrate all over the country. It’s an especially great thing to celebrate at Longwood because, of course, we’ve got the vice presidential debate coming up in October. The national spotlight will be on us and it will be great for that spotlight to show an engaged, enthusiastic and vibrant student body focused on your voting rights.”

“I think with the vice presidential debate coming up in the fall, I think this will help boost morale and get people excited and really try to push for us millennial generation, not only on campus but outside too,” Stotler-Watkins said.

The event was just one of many slated at Longwood centered around the October debate. For more information about the debate and upcoming events, visit www.debate.longwood.edu.