The UPLJ- Where the Voice of Today Meets Tomorrow’s Future
Written by: Briana Louro
The Undergraduate Politics & Law (UPLJ) is a new academic initiative from Fairleigh Dickinson University and serves as a unique opportunity for undergraduate students. The UPLJ, which encompasses both political and legal research and analysis, is open to all undergraduate students regardless of major or enrollment (full or part-time) status. A student can submit an article on a wide variety of disciplines, methods of research and analysis, and topics, as long as the piece has a political or legal focus.
While the Journal itself is a space for undergraduate students to publish formal research, this Blog serves as an additional publishing platform under the UPLJ title. Our blog extends the reach and scope of the Journal, providing a space where students and/or practitioners can publish shorter and less formal work that is likely to be of interest to a more general audience.
These two avenues of expression allow for a collaborative experience with the UPLJ editorial team and provide an important opportunity for developing skills and adding to a student’s extracurricular education. But, perhaps, more importantly, the Journal and Blog provide a distinct chance for college-age students to "throw their hat into the ring," to have a voice on topics that stimulate their passions, concerns, or interests.
Undergraduate youth are becoming more vocal, present, and influential than ever. In the 2020 election, college student voters turned out at unprecedented historical levels. The 2020 National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE data) showed a 66% national student voting rate - a 14-percentage-point increase over 2016.
We have also seen the undergraduate population mobilize through other means. Students have become vigilant, watching, and often criticizing, the decisions made by our governmental institutions. In 2022, the Supreme Court handed down a series of decisions impacting the rights of the young, issuing rulings affecting gun legislation, prayer in our public schools, and the seminal decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In the wake of these cases, students were among the throes of people who turned out to protest or celebrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court. Indeed, across the nation, hundreds of protests have occurred, with more being planned at universities from coast to coast. College students are front-running the protests, advocacy groups and are researching the effect that this will have on the future of the country.
The UPLJ seeks to channel this energy and serve as a site for undergraduate students to express their thoughts and engage on current political and legal topics. The UPLJ vows to help explore these issues while remaining non-partisan and committed to the undergraduate student lens. We believe that it is essential to have a space where college and undergraduate student voices matter and have weight in the academic world.