College football season is upon us, which for many college students means it’s rivalry time. There’s nothing that gets students more excited than beating that school across town on the field. Some Student for Barack Obama leaders have decided to use that enthusiasm and school spirit to move the campaign forward. Students at Penn State University have recently started a voter registration contest against the school’s big rival – the University of Michigan. Zachary, 19, is a sophomore at Penn State University and the leader of the Students for Barack Obama group there. “The schools have a big football rivalry and many people both here and in Ann Arbor are looking forward to the big game on October 15th,” he says.
We decided to have a contest to see which school can get the most voters registered before the game. It’s a fun way to get more students involved.
The Penn Students for Barack Obama contacted their regional field director who helped them set up the contest with Michigan. They announced the contest at a convention watch party with around 300 people in attendance, and have also posted the contest on Facebook and various Penn State email lists. The Penn State students decided to focus on voter registration after learning that in the 2004 presidential election, only 20 percent of Penn State students voted. The Penn State SFBO students got to work and registered over 8,000 students this spring. But they’re not stopping there. “We have big goals,” Zachary says. “We need to try to get every student. October 6th is the deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania, and we want every student to have a chance to vote this year." Zachary says so far, students are really excited about the competition.
If your school has a rivalry, doing a voter registration contest like this is a great way to get people excited and going. It’s exciting to think that there are students in another state doing the same thing we are for Obama.Every student should be empowered to vote. I tell kids they should care about this election because as a freshman here, who we’re electing today is going to be making the decisions about our country four years from now when we graduate. That’s a long time for a college student! These are big issues this year, and we need to make sure American students are voting and expressing their choice.
If your school has a rivalry, doing a voter registration contest like this is a great way to get people excited and going. It’s exciting to think that there are students in another state doing the same thing we are for Obama.
Every student should be empowered to vote. I tell kids they should care about this election because as a freshman here, who we’re electing today is going to be making the decisions about our country four years from now when we graduate. That’s a long time for a college student! These are big issues this year, and we need to make sure American students are voting and expressing their choice.
Does your school have a rival? Put your enthusiasm for football into getting students to the voting booth! Contact your local field organizer to connect with SFBO leaders at your rival school and set up a competition of your own. The school that registers the most voters may get some team pride, but in this contest, the result is more voters. And that means everybody wins.
Above: Penn State students showed their true colors when they made a giant Obama sign in the football stadium at a recent game. They’re calling it the “O-zone.”
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