President Iuliano Encourages Students to Vote in Campus-Wide Email

Posted By Vincent DiFonzo on Oct 22, 2024 | 1 comment

Pennsylvania Hall at Gettysburg College, pictured in 2022. (Aly Leia Wein/The Gettysburgian)

By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief 

President Bob Iuliano sent a campus-wide email on Monday afternoon addressing the upcoming election, encouraging students to vote and calling for the community to treat each other with “respect for difference.” 

Iuliano began his email by acknowledging the divisive political climate surrounding this year’s election.

“It’s an election in which the candidates offer profoundly different views of where America is and where it should go. It’s also an election that has both reflected and contributed to the polarization that is increasingly defining our politics and beyond. We see it in the political ads and commentary that are saturating the traditional and social media in our swing state of Pennsylvania,” wrote Iuliano. “We know that the candidates can inspire very strong emotions in their followers and critics. Please resist any instinct to transfer those emotions to members of our community — and to other voters more generally — who may be inclined to vote differently than you.”

Iuliano also acknowledged a recent incident in which a politically-charged Instagram story by a College admissions officer was screenshotted and shared to a media outlet. The admissions officer’s post, which was originally posted to their private Instagram account, contained strong language criticizing Donald Trump and his supporters. 

“The reposted image spoke in categorical and inappropriate ways about supporters of one of the candidates. It has undoubtedly resulted in some students, parents, alumni, employees and others wondering whether their views, their sincere hopes for the country and in some cases they themselves, are welcome at the College,” wrote Iuliano.  

After Campus Reform obtained a screenshot of the post and published it in an article, the incident garnered media attention from outlets including Fox News. 

In a statement to Fox, the College stated that it is “aware that an employee recently shared a post on her private account that was later made public by one of her followers” and that the College “does not endorse or condone the views expressed in the recent post and is deeply committed to fostering civil discourse and welcomes students from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and ideologies from across the nation and the globe.”

The Gettysburgian reached out to the involved admissions officer for comment and has not yet received a response. In his email, Iuliano stated that the admissions officer’s post does not reflect the view of the College and that the school welcomes those of all beliefs. 

“The sentiments expressed in the repost do not reflect the view of our College. Members of our community represent a wide range of opinion on many matters, and we welcome people from all perspectives, identities, beliefs, and backgrounds. We have no litmus test for political affiliation or belief,” wrote Iuliano. 

Next, Iuliano made three requests to the College community. First, he encouraged the campus community to vote. 

“First, if you are eligible to vote, please vote,” wrote Iuliano. “As the College’s mission statement underscores, one of our central educational objectives is ‘to enable students to realize their full potential for responsible citizenship.’ No act is more fundamental to responsible citizenship than the exercise of the franchise.” 

Iuliano also noted that yesterday, Oct. 21, was the deadline for registering to vote in Pennsylvania for this election cycle. 

His second request was for the community to inform themselves about candidates on the ballot and their policy positions. 

“Elections matter: they shape policies that can profoundly affect our lives. A fundamental aspect of a Gettysburg education is to think critically and independently, to make decisions based on an assessment of the available facts,” wrote Iuliano.

Lastly, he requested that the community “treat one another with the grace, respect for difference and goodwill that has long been a hallmark of this community.” 

Concluding the email, Iuliano encouraged students to get involved in Conversations for Change, the College’s new initiative that Iuliano said was designed “precisely to encourage and hone our ability to speak across difference effectively.”

The 2024 election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The polling location for students registered to vote on campus is in the College Union Building Ballroom. In the presidential election, Pennsylvania remains a vital part of both candidates’ path to victory due to its status as a swing state.