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The Student Voice Since 1903
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2004
8 days to voter registration deadline Voter registration contest mobilizes college campuses by Caroline Duke and Joseph Wertz Staff Writers Twenty-four campuses across the state, including UCO, are competing in a two-day voter registration contest that last year registered more than 2,500 students. The contest started Sept. 29 and will end Sept. 30 and is part of a Vocal Oklahomans in Civic Engagement initiative to politically engage college students. "The activity comes from all different angles on campus," said Jennifer Geren, assistant director and student relations liaison for Oklahoma Campus Compact. "Voter registration has been really huge." Twenty-one campuses competed in the contest last year "Student voter turnout is larger than ever," said Michael Clingman, secretary of the Oklahoma State Election Board. Clingman said he has heard that voter registration is higher than it was before the 2000 pres-
idential election. "The campuses of OU, OSU and UCO have been very active," he said. "There are many candidates who are young and just recently finished up with school and are running for office." Bryan Carlile, a candidate for the Oklahoma State House of Representatives in District 81 and a UCO student, along with Josh Umar, a philosophy major,
held a voter registration rally Sept. 27. "Many students don't realize that if they live in Edmond 6 months out of the year they are eligible to vote in this district," Bryan said. "The majority of college students realize that their vote does count. If every one of our 15,000 students voted in the
see CONTEST, page 3
Group registers 100+ students by Lauren Pulsinelli Senior Staff Writer In the past week;-180 students have registered to vote on campus and more continue to register as the Oct. 8 state deadline draws near. "It's an important election because more 18 to 24 year olds are eligible to vote in this elec-
tion than any other election," said Rob Woods, president of the political science honor society Pi Sigma Alpha. "But yet they are the lowest demographic of vot-ers." This is one reason Pi Sigma Alpha started their voter education booth, he said. Campaign information and volunteers ready to discuss and
answer political questions will be available at the booth. "We are trying to get people involved -arid- engaged' in' the political protess," Woods said. "This is an extremely close election with a lot of important issues at stake." Woods said the next presi-
see REGISTRATION, page 3
Photos by Gavin D. Elliott
Meagan Gomez, biology freshman, registers to vote Sept. 28 at the Pi Sigma Alpha voter information booth in the Liberal Arts Building. The political science honor society, will host the voter registration and candidate information booth through Oct. 4 in the Liberal Arts Building.
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
'Rock the Vote' aims for youth vote of 2M
Launce (Matt Charnay) and Speed (Sean Scrutchins) rehearse for "Two Gentlemen of Verona" Sept. 28 at Mitchell Hall.
■ Jehmu Greene said the 18- to 30-year-old group of voters is more active this year than in the 2000 presidential election. by Caroline Duke Editor in Chief
For more information or to register to vote online, visit www.RockTheVote.org .
The president of "Rock the Vote" fielded questions from college newspaper reporters attention to the election." about the nationwide drive to She said candidates in the register young voters in an election cannot afford to ignore online press conference Sept. young voters. 28 . "It's time for the candidates Jehmu Greene said she is to put their money where their confident "Rock mouth is," the Vote" will Greene said. reach its goal of 20 "Young voters "It's time for the million young vot- are tremendously candidates to ers turning out address the concerns of young Nov. 2 for the engaged in this presidential elec- election and are voters." Greene said tion. poised to be the the media "'Rock the Vote' is doing swing vote." should be everything we can responsible for to push these votforcing the can- Jehmu Greene ers out, and it's up didates to President, 'Rock the Vote' to the candidates address the concerns of young to pull them to their side," she voters. said. "The media has the responSince Greene was named sibility of forcing the candipresident of the organization dates to address the issues that one year ago, she has overseen are directly impacting this gena nationwide effort to get the eration, and we hope they will step up," she said. "We've seen youth vote out. "Young voters are tremen- up to four times the amount of dously engaged in this election coverage compared to the 2000 and are poised to be the swing election, but I do not think that vote," Greene said. "The war in the media has paid adequate Iraq, the job market and the ris- attention to addressing the ing cost of college are driving young people to pay closer see YOUTH VOTE, page 3
Photo by Justin Avera
■ The deadline to register to vote for the presidential election is Oct. 8. Forms are available at The Vista, Rm. 107 of the Communications Building, or register online at www.thevistaonline.com .
■ Pi Sigma Alpha, UCO political science honor society, will host a voter education booth from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the east end of the Liberal Arts Building through Friday. Voter registration forms will be available. ■ The Student Health Center will give flu vaccinations Oct. 25 for $25. For more information, call the Student Health Center at 974-2317.
Students put modem twist on classic tale
■ The deadline for the Fulbright competition is Oct. 11. For more information, contact Dr. Siegfried Heil at 974-5633 or Dr. Amy Carrel at 974-5609.
■ The comedy "Two Gentlemen of Verona" will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7-9, at at 2 p.m. Oct. 10 in Mitchell Hall. by Kelley Chambers Staff Writer With a cast of 17, a dog, cell phones, William Shakespeare, lap top cornputers and a nightclub called "La Forista," one might ask what exactly Dr. Bob McGill and the UCO Theatre Department are up to. Quite simply, they will be performing Shakespeare's comedy "Two Gentleman of Verona," with a few modern twists, from Oct. 7 through Oct. 10 in Mitchell Hall
Theater. "We decided to do it contemporary," McGill said, "but in Milan they run into a renaissance fair, with all sorts of lavish costumes." The play begins in Venice and is the story of two gentlemen, Proteus and Valentine, long time friends who end up competing for the affection of the lovely Silvia. Daniel Gilbert, a junior theater major, is playing the bookish Valentine. "Valentine is a very
scholarly man who looks down on love," Gilbert said. "He believes it's a waste of time." That is, until he travels to the emperor's court in Milan and falls in love with Silvia, who is the daughter of the Duke. However, when love overcomes Valentine, Gilbert said his character begins to throw caution to the wind, and behave more like his free-spirited friend
see VERONA, page 3
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For more information about the ADP at UCO, visit www.thevistaonline.com