Politics may not always be the most fun topic to discuss — but it’s a bit easier when there are puppies around.
The Hispanic Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs group is hosting an informational session on Thursday at Scofflaw Brewery Co. that they’re calling Pups & Politics. The program will allow attendees to learn more about redistricting and how it can impact their lives, while enjoying a drink in a dog-friendly environment.
The discussion will include a set of questions about redistricting that the group has created with a series it’s been doing on Instagram Live. The quiz will be followed by networking “because everyone wants to get to know the pups, and the people and the owners of the pups,” said Rubí García, public policy vice chair for HYPE, a nextgen division of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “It’s just going to be a little bit of everything. A little bit of learning, a little bit of networking and a little bit of booze.”
District lines are supposed to be redrawn later this year, and will reflect Georgia’s population increase of about 1 million from the 2010 to the 2020 census. The redistricting process is likely to become a political tug-of-war between Democrats and Republicans, who control a majority of the state’s General Assembly. Despite party politics playing a major role in redistricting, this event won’t have much to do with it.
“That’s what kind of makes HYPE unique, we’re nonpartisan,” Alex Villanueva, president of organization, said. “So we try to present things that are relevant to professionals ages 21 to 35, and things that we should care about, things that we should be in the know about, things that we can inform people of, so they can make their own decisions.”
So how do dogs play a role in all of this?
“Sometimes it can be intimidating going back into society, but I think sometimes it makes it a tad bit easier to have your furry friends by your side, so we decided on the idea of having our little furry friends with us and it’s a good opportunity for us to get to know other dog owners in our community,” García said. “We thought dog treats, booze, networking and education all in one.”
The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Scofflaw Brewing Co., located at 1738 MacArthur Blvd. NW. Tickets for the session are $10 for non-HYPE members and free for members of the organization and include a food voucher for The Real Mexican Vittles.
And yes, dog treats will be provided.
Paradise Afshar is a Report for America corps member covering metro Atlanta’s immigrant communities.
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