Foster Quad rocks the vote

In only 46 days, U.S. citizens 18-years-old and older across the country will flock to local voting polls and exercise their rights as Americans to vote in the fall election. Until Nov. 2, student organizations across IU's campus are doing whatever it takes to get students educated and involved in the elections.\nFoster Quad resident assistants, who originally intended to support MTV's Rock the Vote campaign but received no response, decided to take matters into their own hands. \nOn Sept. 26, Foster Quad will host the first Foster Rocks the Vote from noon to 4 p.m. in the Foster circle drive.\nFoster teamed up with Indiana Student Public Interest Research Group and numerous other student organizations on campus to sponsor Foster Rocks the Vote. The event will receive financial support from the Poynter Center. \nINPIRG will host a booth where students have the opportunity to register to vote and fill out absentee ballots. \nSophomore Nathan Bennett, an RA at Foster, said the Quad is an excellent location to hold the event.\n"We are of an age where everything is starting to affect us, but freshmen are the ones who may not be registered to vote yet," Bennett said.\nMany students are politically savvy, but many know little about the upcoming elections. Foster Rocks the Vote is not only to register students to vote, but to educate the politically challenged.\n"A lot of people are interested in what's going on," Bennett said. "But a lot of people feel they're vote isn't worth it. Many feel they do not know enough about what is going on."\nFoster Rocks the Vote plans to hold a debate with the IU College Republicans and the IU College Democrats. Students are encouraged to submit questions and statements to aid in formulating the debate.\nThe idea of the debate is not an attempt to change anyone's political stance or views. The main concept of the debate is to challenge student's views and educate those whom are unaware of what is currently going on in the election. \nCandace Doriot, a sophomore and Foster RA, said the diverse IU student organizations will highlight different aspects of the approaching election.\n"Every issue can affect us," Doriot said. "This is a way for students to come together and say 'we want this' and 'we want that.'"\nBennett said a lot of students realize this is a very important election.\n"Right now our nation is split right down the middle," Bennett said. "Whoever wins this election will decide a lot of what happens in many years to come."\nAllyson Mayers, a senior and RA at Foster, said Foster Rocks the Vote has been catered to meet all students' needs for the upcoming election.\n"We want to have booths advertising other political sides such as Libertarian and Conservative Parties," Mayers said. "These are things many students care about; things that will relate to our students."\nMayers said the event will cover all aspects of the upcoming election. The purpose of Foster Rocks the Vote is to make wide-spread options available to all students, she said.\n"If you are more concerned with the local, state or presidential election, everything will be represented," Mayers said. "Everyone's needs will be met."\nFlyers will be posted over the weekend promoting Foster Rocks the Vote to students across campus.\n"The turnout is so unexpected," Mayers said. "We have potential to register all of our residents, and anyone across campus is welcome to attend."\nBut she said the numbers are not what are important. Mayers said it is important they make a difference by telling students across campus they need to go out and register to vote.\n"Not a lot of college students our age realize the decisions politicians make who are 40 and 50 years older than us can affect us today," Mayers said. "We are not going to have anything. We have to get out there and do something."\n-- Contact staff writer Kristin Huett at khuett@indiana.edu.