Summary
What YOU Do
Record 1-minute videos.
Participate in Zoom aircasts.
Tell your representatives about an issue that matters to you, what you’d like done about it, and ask for their feedback.
What WE Do
Amplify your voice.
Facilitate civil conversations.
We invite the politicians you address to discuss your issue … and spotlight the aircasts in onAir Hubs & social media.
WHY
To find common ground.
Promote participatory democracy.
Connect students, faculty, & the public to their representatives & candidates to have greater impact on elections and legislation.
Speak Up for Impact Contest
Democracy onAir is sponsoring the first Speak Up for Impact contest. A minimum cash prize of $150 will be awarded to the student who has the most videos submitted in their name. In addition, a minimum cash prize of $150 will be awarded to the Club and to the University with the most submitted videos in their names. Check the News section of this post for higher cash awards provided by additional sponsors throughout the contest.
The first contest started April 9, 2022 and ends December 20, 2022.
OnAir Post: Speak Up – US
About
Contest Aim
Speak Up contests focus on promoting competitions among university and other interest-based communities to have the most impact on local, state, and federal government and elections – via informed, civil discussion among university communities and their elected officials.
A decade of studies showed that when constituents and their elected officials used a moderated platform to discuss their views (based on a set of issue-based facts) to find common ground, trust went up and people were more likely to vote – especially for those with whom they interacted. That’s impact!
US onAir is a non-profit, non-partisan network with a central US Hub and 50 state Hubs designed for citizens to learn, discuss, and impact their democracy.
- LEARN the facts about issues on posts, curated by student volunteers
- DISCUSS issues via live-streamed aircasts, moderated by student volunteers.
- HAVE IMPACT on elected officials, governance, prospective voters, and elections.
Videos
Model Videos
Mobile Voting – Eve Armstrong
March 23, 2022
My name is Eve Armstrong and I would like to see some change in voting accessibility. In this digital age that we live in, it is quite shocking that we haven’t developed a system where voters can cast their votes electronically. Because election days are not national holidays and due to ongoing complications with mail in ballot rejections many eligible voters are disenfranchised.
To my senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and my congressman Don Beyer, I would like to see my representatives invest in mobile voting via a secure U.S. government website. I understand that this brings up issues regarding cyber security, but I truly believe that we, as a country, are at a place technologically where we can make mobile voting happen.
I hope you will consider my suggestion and I am looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Voter Trust & Apathy – Meredith Cary
March 14, 2022
Voter Participation – Connor Oatman
March 11, 2022
Voting Rights Legislation – Ani Prakash
March 23, 2022
Contest Overview
Eligibility:
Any individual (at least 18 years old) can enter as long as they submit their own and a student’s email address. No purchase of any sort is necessary and there is no entry fee.
Submission Steps:
- Create your video as an mp4.
- Upload the mp4 when you officially join the contest by fully completing this ENTRY form.
Selection of Winner(s):
Those who inspire the most to ‘Speak Up’ win. The top three will win $150 each:
- The educator (or the class designee), for the most videos submitted on behalf of a GMU class
- The student organization, for the most videos submitted on behalf of a student organization
- The individual (faculty, student, affiliate, staff, alumni) who submits their video and influences the most individuals (in person or by social media) to join and ‘Speak Up’.
Contest Details
Agreement to Rules
Each Entrant must comply with all the terms and conditions of the official rules (the “Rules”) contained herein. By participating in the Contest, each Entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to be bound by and accepts the terms and conditions of these Rules and the decisions of US onAir and its Judges (including, without limitation, the selection of finalists and winners, and the awarding of prizes), which are final and binding in all respects.
- You represent and warrant that you meet the requirements and qualifications for this Contest and that you have read these Rules and are fully familiar with them.
- You represent and warrant that you will be severally liable for any failure to comply with these Rules.
- You represent that you are at least 18 years of age.
- Runtime: Videos are no longer than 75 seconds, including any credits. Any video longer than 75 seconds will be disqualified.
- Message: The video must:
- Address your US Senators and US House member. Find out who they are here.
- Tell them what you want done about an issue that most matters to you … or … Ask them what they plan to do about that issue.
- Ask for their response to you.
- Style: The title must include the issue and the entrant’s name (e.g., ‘Everyone Vote!’ – John Doe). Use any style of expression (e.g., speak, sing, dance, animation, slides, personal story, etc.).
- Exclusivity: Submissions must be posted online during the dates of the contest and must not be entered in, or associated with, any other contest or campaign. Previously posted submissions from publicized contests will be disqualified.
- Terms of Service: Entrants must comply with the terms of service — including any community guidelines and copyright policies for YouTube. If your video is removed from the host platform for violation of its terms of service, you will be disqualified from the contest.
- Music: If the video contains music, the use of copyrighted music in the video is not allowed, but non-copyright music is optional. To avoid violating copyright law, entrants are strongly encouraged to use either an original song; music available in the YouTube Audio Library; or royalty-free licensed music (e.g., music purchased — or downloaded for free — from a stock music website).
- Permission: Entrants are responsible for securing all necessary rights, licenses, clearances, releases, consents and/or permissions from any other people who appear in the video entry.
- Originality: You represent and warrant that your entry is original and in full compliance with the terms of service of YouTube.
- Ownership: You retain ownership of your video. However, by entering the Contest, you grant to the US onAir a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable and transferable license to use that video (including to reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works, display and perform it) in connection with the Contest and US onAir’s (and its successors’ and Affiliates’) business, including for the purpose of promoting the Contest.
Appropriateness
Video submissions must be consistent with use of:
- Key Pillars and Standards of civility.
- Seven (7) ways to choose NOT to polarize.
- Verifiable facts (when statements are made as facts), such as these:
Video submissions must NOT:
- Promote any product or brand.
- Violate the terms of service of the host platform.
- Identify other individuals by name (other than an elected official), without written permission.
- Contain any of the following: profanity; content depicting or promoting sexual activity; content depicting or promoting illegal activity; content that depicts or promotes violence or harm; or any other offensive, obscene, or inappropriate content, which will be determined by US onAir and the Contest Judges.
Indemnity
- To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless US onAir, its Affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising from: (i) your participation in the Contest; (ii) your violation of any term of this Agreement; (iii) your violation of any third party right, including without limitation any copyright, property, or privacy right; or (iv) any claim that your video caused damage to a third party. This defense and indemnification obligation will survive this Agreement and the Contest.
Permissions
- By submitting an entry, you grant to US onAir and its affiliated companies the right, except where prohibited by law, to use your name, likeness, picture, voice, biographical information, submission/entry and written or oral statements, for advertising and promotional purposes in promoting or publicizing the Contest, US onAir and its mission and services, without compensation unless required by law. You shall have no right of approval, no claim to compensation, and no claim (including, without limitation, claims based on invasion of privacy, defamation, rights of integrity or attribution, or right of publicity) arising out of any use, alteration, or use in composite form of your name, picture, likeness, address (city and state only), biographical information, or entry.
Rights
- The rights granted herein shall extend to US onAir and its affiliated companies and agents with respect to all entrants in the Contest, including the entrant who is selected as the prize winner(s) and those entrants who are not selected. US onAir is under no obligation to use the winning entries or any other entry for any purpose.
Governing Law
- All claims arising out of or relating to these Rules will be governed by VA law and will be litigated exclusively in the federal or state courts of Fairfax County, VA.
