Mayor Reed, fixture on EMU’s campus, inspires civic engagement among students

With Election Day (Nov. 5) fast approaching, students at EMU say that having an elected official, Mayor Deanna Reed, on campus has motivated them to become civically engaged.

Reed, who is running for reelection this year, has served as mayor of Harrisonburg, Virginia, since 2017, when she was first elected to City Council. She is the first African American woman elected to the council and also the first to be appointed mayor. At EMU she is director of alumni engagement & community connections.

During the second annual Stroll to the Polls event on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Rockingham County Circuit Courthouse in downtown Harrisonburg, Reed rallied students from EMU and James Madison University, as well as others in the community, to cast their ballots on the first day of early voting in Virginia. The event aims to increase voter turnout, especially among college students, with marches proceeding from the steps of the courthouse to the city and county polling places.

One of those students attending the rally, EMU sophomore Elie Hoover, a social work and music major, said that having a local leader actively involved on campus helps keep her politically engaged. She feels proud to be an EMU student, she added, knowing that the school has representation in city government.

“I want to do my part because she’s doing her part for us,” Hoover said.

At the Stroll to the Polls event, as she walked along Main Street toward City Hall with a group of other students, EMU junior Royale Parker waved a “Virginia Votes Early” sign and enthusiastically encouraged passing drivers to vote.

Parker, a business administration and psychology major, said she once believed there was no use in voting. “I was one of those students who thought my voice didn’t matter and that my vote didn’t count,” she said. 

But interacting with Reed through committees and clubs on campus has shown her that everyone has a voice and a vote, including her. Reed, she said, has introduced students at EMU to political issues they might have otherwise not known about and has also helped them understand the voting process.

“She’s inspired me to become more involved and excited to vote,” Parker said. 

EMU senior Kay Pettus, a music major and president of the Black Student Alliance (BSA), proudly displayed her “I Voted” sticker as she exited City Hall during the first day of early voting. Pettus, who organized the shuttles for BSA members from EMU to downtown Harrisonburg, said that Reed regularly works with BSA and encourages them to participate in civic events. She said that seeing Reed and others speak at the rally was a powerful experience. 

“I like that they were encouraging students and young people to vote,” Pettus said, “because it is important and our voices do count.”

Students who identify with a political party different than Reed’s say they’ve felt her support. Jason Dwyer, a senior political science and history double major who leads the EMU College Republicans club, said the Democratic mayor takes care to engage with everyone on campus. “I don’t know how many other colleges can say they have a mayor on staff and as part of their community,” he said.

Reed said she felt honored and privileged to know her presence and involvement on campus as a mayor has helped students engage in politics.

“It’s gratifying to see the impact of student participation in shaping our community and beyond,” she said. “Students’ voices are not just significant, they’re essential. Their voices matter and have the power to shape the future, and that is incredibly motivating.”