2008 Woodie Awards
Student organizations sponsor on-campus voter registration drive
By: Sarah Bleau
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Other Stories
Sophomore political science student Garrison Green registered to vote the day of his 18th birthday.
"I was very excited to vote," he said.
He shared his excitement with other students Wednesday by helping them register to vote, alongside his fellow Kappa Alpha Psi members.
Kappa Alpha Psi was one of many organizations that sponsored a voter registration drive to encourage students and employees to register to vote in the Panhellenic Ballroom from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
At press release time, approximately 300 registration forms were completed.
Other student organizations that sponsored the event included Black Student Association, Hispanic Student Association, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta.
West Tennessee Students for Barack Obama began planning the drive this summer.
In order to represent all parties equally, Students for Barack Obama invited other political student organizations, including College Democrats and College Republicans.
Party affiliation during the drive was not important, according to Cortney Richardson, coordinator and sophomore communications major.
"We want everyone to vote," Richardson said.
"We're all here for one cause - the main thing we're trying do is to get everyone out to vote," Green said.
The drive was an all-day event to target every student and University employee, said coordinator and senior African and African American studies student Carlissia Graham. She said most voter registration drives are held during prime lunch time hours in the Tiger Den or Wilder Tower, "but there are more students on this campus that need to be registered besides those who go to the Tiger Den."
"We're giving students the venue to actually exercise their voting power," Graham said. "We want to give commuter students, faculty and staff the time to come in at their convenience."
Organization members and executives also encouraged people to fill out absentee ballots.
"I was very excited to vote," he said.
He shared his excitement with other students Wednesday by helping them register to vote, alongside his fellow Kappa Alpha Psi members.
Kappa Alpha Psi was one of many organizations that sponsored a voter registration drive to encourage students and employees to register to vote in the Panhellenic Ballroom from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
At press release time, approximately 300 registration forms were completed.
Other student organizations that sponsored the event included Black Student Association, Hispanic Student Association, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta.
West Tennessee Students for Barack Obama began planning the drive this summer.
In order to represent all parties equally, Students for Barack Obama invited other political student organizations, including College Democrats and College Republicans.
Party affiliation during the drive was not important, according to Cortney Richardson, coordinator and sophomore communications major.
"We want everyone to vote," Richardson said.
"We're all here for one cause - the main thing we're trying do is to get everyone out to vote," Green said.
The drive was an all-day event to target every student and University employee, said coordinator and senior African and African American studies student Carlissia Graham. She said most voter registration drives are held during prime lunch time hours in the Tiger Den or Wilder Tower, "but there are more students on this campus that need to be registered besides those who go to the Tiger Den."
"We're giving students the venue to actually exercise their voting power," Graham said. "We want to give commuter students, faculty and staff the time to come in at their convenience."
Organization members and executives also encouraged people to fill out absentee ballots.