OPINION: As the semester ends, we are looking Forward to summer

Mark Harris, a first-year student at Ohio University and an opinion writer at The New Political, writes from his position as a regional coordinator for the Forward Party in Ohio House District 94.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect Mark Harris’s correct title.

As the school year is nearing its end here in Athens the local Forward movement is shifting gears. There is a lot going on, so I wanted to give an update and go over the last few events before summer break as well as describe some of our summer plans. Additionally, I can now officially announce a promotion of one of our local organizers and highlight another young organizer for the Lancaster Area.

On April 17, we ended our East Palestine can drive. It was a resounding success, and we thank all who donated. In the coming days we will be delivering the donated items to the residents of East Palestine. It is so important that we help those in need both in the Athens area and in the region. Expect to see more can drives and other actions to give back to the public over the summer and next school year.

Unfortunately, it seems we will not be able to begin collecting signatures to become a minor party in the state of Ohio until after classes end for the summer, so if you are interested in helping us reach our goal of minor party status, please keep up to date on our collection efforts as they begin throughout the summer. Our statewide organizers will be hosting events to gather signatures. Additionally, we also will have a way to sign online so keep checking the Forward Ohio page.

Also, over the summer we are planning outdoor events throughout the state. The first of these will be held June 3 at Conkle’s Hollow in the Hocking Hills. We will be having a group hike followed by a cook-out, where we will have games and activities for all ages. We also will be collecting signatures for minor party status. 

One of the organizers who is helping with the June 3 event at Conkle’s Hollow is Chase Hamilton. He is a high school student and is only 15 years old. He and his father Tim Hamilton are co-captains in the Lancaster area. They held their first event this week on April 19. It is inspiring to see such a young person take up an interest in trying to make his community a better place. I can’t wait to see what he and his dad will achieve in the Lancaster area.

Speaking of other organizers who are doing great work for Forward in the area, it is my pleasure to announce that Daniel DeLuca will now be captaining Ohio’s twelfth congressional district. He is highly deserving of this promotion, we simply could not have achieved this level of success in the Athens area without him. He has graciously allowed us to use Red Brick Tavern as our regular meeting place, used his local connections to secure locations for our can collection bins and most of all,has been an enthusiastic participant in every aspect of the Forward movement.

We are nearing the end of the school year and we are gearing up for a big summer push for signatures, however that doesn’t mean we don’t have a few more plans for the remaining weeks of spring semester. The biggest on our agenda is our Civility Summit on April 24. DeLuca and I, as local organizers of the Forward movement, will be hosting a meeting with members of both the Ohio U College Republicans and Ohio U College Democrats for a civil discussion of issues affecting the Athens area. Also, on May 1 we will be having a “Congratulations on Graduation” meeting at Red Brick Tavern to wish all graduates well as they look forward to their futures.

The end of April and beginning of May is a transitional time in the Athens area, as locals and as local organizers we recognize this. This is why we are making plans for the summer, while also staying active. To all who have helped us in these first few months, I want to say thank you for everything. I look forward to the end of the semester and to a long summer of organizing, because the end of this semester is just the beginning of a new chapter.