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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Olesia I chose to study the election process as one of my volunteer civic activities. The reason I selected to work with the election process was because of the United States General Election this year. One of the first things I did was to work as a volunteer at both the Democratic and Republican Headquarters in Riley County, Kansas. While I was helping in the Democratic Headquarters a fellow worker spent time telling me how the county headquarters helps the candidates get elected. He described activities they use to get people out to vote. This worker said that only 60% of people vote. Another time when I was working at the Democratic Headquarters I helped to look up telephone numbers of registered Democrats. These people will be called to encourage them to vote. On Election Day volunteers will go to the poles and will write down all the names of people who voted and those who did not vote will be called and encourage to come vote. At the Republican Headquarters I volunteered to help place signs in yards. I had to get permission to place the signs in some yards. While I worked at the headquarters I got to meet and talk with the Vice Chairwoman of the Riley County Republican Party. I also talked to the campaign chairman of the candidate running for state representative. I was so surprised when the actual candidate for state representative came into the office. I got to talk to him and later I saw his picture in the newspaper. When I was talking to the candidate and his chairman they asked me some questions about me and my country. They found out that I play the piano. They asked me to play the piano at a "Benefit for Wounded Soldiers and the local Bread Basket." They expect over 200 people to come to the Benefit. It will be held soon after the election, admission will be either money for the wounded soldiers or food for the Bread Basket. I am happy to share my musical talent with people in the community. That is why I have also been playing the piano to entertain elderly people at an assisted living center. To better understand the election process I went to a neighboring town to observe a panel discussion called, " Meet the candidates". It was interesting to hear different thoughts of the candidates and to see them in person and hear them try to convince people to vote for them. I learned from talking to the people at both election headquarters that the most important job of the candidate is to meet the people and to raise money. Also I learned that money for the campaign comes from donations by people of the community. It was interesting to me to learn that nobody gets paid and that the workers volunteer their time for free. Now I understand why the American government is closer to the people than is my government. I met many volunteers who helped with the election process. I see now that the American people help to build their political system and how they help to make their country stronger. I had heard about the quote from President Kennedy: "Do not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Now I have been able to see how the American people volunteer and help their country. The people do not ask their country to take care of them, but many people work to make their country better. They do not expect to get paid for volunteering. I had a tour of the Bread Basket, I found out how it works. Extra food from people in the community, grocery stores, restaurants, industry and government is given to the local Bread Basket. People who need food can come and get the food. I helped to handout food to the clients. The volunteers stood in the parking lot by the warehouse. The people drove by in their cars and volunteers helped to load the food. Another thing I am doing for the Bread Basket is to collect food from the community. At school I am a member of the Thespian Club. We are going to collect food for the Bread Basket on Halloween night. Now I have seen how a community can help the needy to have food for their families. I wish this could happen in my country. I hope that one day when our government is not corrupt we will have something like this to help the needy. The most part of my extra time has been spent in the school musical, Les Miserables. I have volunteered over nine hours to help build the set for the musical. I sing and have several small parts. It makes me happy to be in this production and entertain the community. We have been practicing in the evening for nine weeks, three hours a night, three times a week. There will be four performances for the community on the second week of November. We have spent so much time, and I hope that community will like it. All of these things that I participated in have helped me to understand better the way of a Democratic country. When I go home I will take this knowledge with me, and will try to use it to help to make my country better in some small way. I have learned that even one person can help to make a difference because in America every voice can be heard. I think that from this Civic Education Workshop I could learn more about the American political system. It would be interesting to see the government in person. It would be good to talk to other students and find out what they have learned from their activities here in America. The knowledge which I gain from my time in America will help me to find a better way of life and to share this knowledge with my family and friends. There are 60 students from my country in the FLEX program this year. If each of them will learn something from America and be able to share with their friends and family, then this becomes many people doing small things that adds up to something big.
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