On Saturday, April 2nd, we at “Students for Bernie” hosted our first New York training session in NYU’s GCASL C95 room, marking the launch of our statewide campaign to encourage college students to vote for Bernie Sanders during the April 19 state primary.

Students for Bernie firmly believes that Senator Sanders’ platform speaks to the values of all college-age voters, including NYU students, much more effectively than that of Secretary Clinton. His firm stance on tackling climate change and his advocacy for living wages, lowering interest rates on student loans and making public universities tuition free is especially salient among young voters. The proof is in the pudding: Bernie Sanders has been absolutely crushing his rival among millennial voters throughout the primary contest. New Hampshire was the most striking example, where Senator Sanders won by a 71 point margin among voters ages 18-29. Students for Bernie considers New Hampshire, where activists campaigned hard to encourage youth voter turnout, to be one of the greatest successes. The organization is looking to replicate that success in other states.

Sanders currently trails Clinton in the national delegate count by 263 pledged delegates. That means he needs approximately 57 percent of the remaining delegates in order to win the pledged majority. This is no small feat, but if his recent successes are any indication, the momentum has finally shifted in his favor, making a Sanders victory a very real possibility.

As of right now, Clinton is favored to win the majority of New York’s 247 delegates. However, over the past three weeks, her poll numbers have dropped by 17 percentage points. With more than two weeks to go, a mere 12 point lead on Clinton’s part and massive momentum favoring Sanders, a victory in New York appears to be on its way. This is where NYU students come in.

Students for Bernie is counting on a massive effort on the part of metropolitan college students to get out the vote and spread the message of Sanders’ campaign. Students have played the most vital role in keeping Senator Sanders’ campaign alive through their use of social media and their unwavering enthusiasm for his candidacy. If NYU students make their voices heard, take democracy into their own hands and turn out at the polls, Sanders will take New York and seal his nomination. This is why we are counting on the students of NYU to get involved by signing up to volunteer and getting in touch with organizers through the NYU for Bernie Facebook Page. The goal for this election is to achieve record voter-turnout from NYU students, but we can’t do it alone. If we’re going to win, we’ll have to do it together.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, April 4 print edition. 

Email New York University Students for Bernie Sanders at [email protected], or check out the group’s Facebook page.