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Your vote matters so much that people try to take it away, documentary director says

Students view “After Selma” in Malouf 201 on Thursday. Loki Mulholland, writer and director of the documentary, says voting is critically important. (Cat Taylor)

You always hear, ”Why does it matter if I vote?” Well, it matters that much because people are trying to take away your right to vote, says documentary director Loki Mulholland. 

Mulholland, writer and director of “After Selma”, hosted a screening of his new film Thursday night in the Gore Auditorium. The screening wrapped up the weeklong 2020 MLK Commemorative Series hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

“If you don’t like who is in office, it’s your fault if you didn’t vote,” he said. “If you don’t vote, then your candidate won because you decided whoever got elected was good enough for you.” 

Mulholland said this is the third film he has brought to Westminster College because it’s a great campus and a wonderful place to host.  

His new film “After Selma” is a documentary about how voting rights have evolved since the civil Montgomery march. 

“Typically, most people view that everyone can vote after that march in the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” he said. “What they don’t remember is that very quickly after that, the voting suppression that would take place and that has continued up until today.” 

Dr. Tamara Stevenson, associate professor of communication and Interim Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said this film of voter suppression fits the theme of this year’s weeklong celebration honoring Dr. King.

“It was a favorable fit to have the screening and have the filmmaker here to talk about the film,” she said. “If students missed the screening, they can watch it on Amazon Prime for free.”

Stevenson also said she wants students to think about is whether they’re registered to vote. 

“Go to vote.utah.gov and get information about how they can make sure they’re registered to vote,” she said. 

Stevenson noted that college students from out of state have procedures they can take if they want to vote in the upcoming Utah election. 

Mike Hodge, a pilot for Delta airlines, said he didn’t vote a lot when he was younger because he didn’t know a lot about politics and he didn’t really care. 

“My advice to students is to know what you’re voting for,” he said. “Educate yourself as much as possible by watching documentaries or doing your research.” 

Your vote matters, he said, so go out and vote this year.   

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Jaclyn is so excited to finish her final semester at Westminster College so she can continue to grow her makeup artistry business, J and L makeup, which is often featured on FOX13 and PCTV. Jaclyn is a former NBA Golden State Warrior dancer, so she's looking forward to writing articles on the Westminster sports teams. In her free time you can find her snowboarding, boxing or traveling.

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