Spring Break
Rally encourages voter registration
Alexandria Phillips
Issue date: 9/26/08 Section: News
Drexel Votes 2008 will host a voter registration rally in the Korman quad from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 29 to raise awareness about the Oct. 6 registration deadline.
The event will also give freshmen a chance to meet with volunteer organizations for their civic volunteer assignment, according to Dorothy Schwartz, director of administrative services at Hagerty Library.
The highlight of the event will be an open mic, which will allow students, faculty and staff to voice their opinions about the upcoming presidential race.
"[The event] is part of an overall effort to increase awareness among the student body and provide the campus with an opportunity to have a public dialogue about the presidential election," Daniel Dougherty, director for the Center for Civic Engagement, said.
Thomas Dahan, program director for Center for Civic Engagement, added, "The open mic will be moderated, not to discourage free speech, but to maintain an atmosphere of a civic dialogue that appreciates diversity of opinion."
Getting Drexel students to register to vote in the upcoming election has been a goal for both Drexel Votes 2008 and the Drexel Democrats, according to sources from both organizations.
With the help of volunteers from the Barack Obama campaign, the Drexel Democrats were able to register over 1,300 students during the move-in days alone, according to Sean Miller, Drexel Democrats president.
"Over the past two days, at least four different people have approached me asking if I was registered to vote here in Philadelphia. Although some people found this to be annoying, I was pleased to see how enthusiastic Drexel is to get its students more politically involved," Joseph Andracchio, a senior mechanical engineering major, said.
"Last year, Drexel was able to register over 2,000 students during the year, quite an accomplishment. Based on that we hoped to again register 2,000 students this year even though [we have] less than three weeks to do so before the deadline of Oct. 6," Miller said.
The event will also give freshmen a chance to meet with volunteer organizations for their civic volunteer assignment, according to Dorothy Schwartz, director of administrative services at Hagerty Library.
The highlight of the event will be an open mic, which will allow students, faculty and staff to voice their opinions about the upcoming presidential race.
"[The event] is part of an overall effort to increase awareness among the student body and provide the campus with an opportunity to have a public dialogue about the presidential election," Daniel Dougherty, director for the Center for Civic Engagement, said.
Thomas Dahan, program director for Center for Civic Engagement, added, "The open mic will be moderated, not to discourage free speech, but to maintain an atmosphere of a civic dialogue that appreciates diversity of opinion."
Getting Drexel students to register to vote in the upcoming election has been a goal for both Drexel Votes 2008 and the Drexel Democrats, according to sources from both organizations.
With the help of volunteers from the Barack Obama campaign, the Drexel Democrats were able to register over 1,300 students during the move-in days alone, according to Sean Miller, Drexel Democrats president.
"Over the past two days, at least four different people have approached me asking if I was registered to vote here in Philadelphia. Although some people found this to be annoying, I was pleased to see how enthusiastic Drexel is to get its students more politically involved," Joseph Andracchio, a senior mechanical engineering major, said.
"Last year, Drexel was able to register over 2,000 students during the year, quite an accomplishment. Based on that we hoped to again register 2,000 students this year even though [we have] less than three weeks to do so before the deadline of Oct. 6," Miller said.
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