WHY YOUR VOTE REALLY DOES COUNT
omc >cit'
dents first
rr.a tion to
people who
ask them to
register to
vote is to
.ok “Why?"
Why should people vote
when tlu-ir vote seems to
nuke such little difference’
Why should they vote
when nothing ever
t lunges?
"When students vote o
when change will happen,”
said Jennifer Williamson,
ASlK) President. "I l< iw
t an we ex pec t things n >
v lunge unless we take
at t ion to i lunge them ?
Students need n» vote to
shove that we do really tare
aKmit w hat h.ippens t>' our
country, our community,
and our edut at ion."
I he knowledge that
students vt >te and are
concerned about publtc
policy often alerts rep resell
tatives to student issues.
Representatives reali:e that
students will know it they
vmcvi .pmsi nigiH*r
Ci.luc.ition funding, accord
mg to Williamson
"It It.is been the Ivst tool
th.it stiiilcnts h.tvc had
historic ally," said
Williamson. "Who would
vote against education if
1 7,000 l niversity of
i Vegon students, constitu
ents, were going to lx
upset Representatives c are
aK»ut their constitucnt-'
concents It is m represen
tatives' best interest."
People often c hum that
their own vote c annot
make the difference
WdPamson c I.ums there
arc arguments against this
logic.
"lust rec ently, we had
library Kind measures that
failed by a handful of
votes," said Williamson
"What it your one vote
c ould have been the cote
ill.it saves financ i.d aid or
keeps your tuition low ’
I\>es it seem worthless to
vote then?"
! he power ot c ot mg is
not expressed solely in the
mere act, according to
Williamson. It gives stu
dent lobby organizations
more sway with politicians
“We have two organua
(ions that lobby tor (man
i i ll aid and higher eduta
i it in funding on our in
halt,” -.aid Matthew
Scotten, interim ASUO
f ederal Affairs ( xirdma
tor "l 'tilted States Stu
dents Asmx lation and
Oregon Student l obby arc
hoth able to lx- more
effec five when they can say
that a large pcr» entage < -t
students vote ”
File Issue is one of self
preservation, according to
Si often. 1 le pointed to the
proposed nits in ftnatu lal
aid that range from $2
million to $8 million
dollars Fourteen-thousand
of the 1 7,000 students at
the l niversity of Oregon
applied for fmanc ial aid
last year
"If we want to keep our
i'di H Iti.il, if ;■* >1.1 ible, Hid
ensure that fmanc ial aid
continues to be a national
priority, we must vote. If is
the foundatHm of any
political as non," said
St of ten.
t Oregon students have a
history of .u tivism that has
helped them in the past In
1W2 and 1W4. the l n.
versity of Oregon had more
students registered to vote
than any other college in
the nation. Mother Jones
Voter
Registration
Facts
► If you are out-of
state . it is impor
tant to vote, be
cause your tuition
rates are set in
Oregon's legisla
ture
► Right now Congress
is looking at cutting
financial aid up to
$10 million for the
next seven years
► There is still time
to register lor the
Senate general
election coming up
on January 9 and
the Presidential
primary in March
Mflgdjme H-lct ted I hr
l ’Diversity of l )regon as
rlu* most >k live t ampus tn
the niitton Ixx.him- <>t its
l>i«h registration percent
age
"We have gamed a
reputation across the
nation that has helped us
gain support tor higher
education," said
Williamson
An example of student
voting is the support that
students have teceived
from Kh a 1 representatives.
“It ts a testament to
student voting power when
nir representatives are
willing to go to bat tor us
and sit. what they t an to
save tmr financial aid,” said
Williamson.
STUDENTS MU GETTING SLASHED.- James Peterson Eundraiimg Coordinator
*r»d Mandi Hoed former Slate Affairs Coordinator register students to vote at
the day el action Chalked body outlines tittered the sidewalks ot campus on the first
day ot school The statewide day ot action was used to educate people on the
proposed cuts in financial aid and encourage students to vote Cellular phones
were loaned to students to make toll tree calls to their representatives to ask tor
their support lor financial aid
SPEAKING OUT- ASUO President Jennifer Williamson speaks at the Students are
Getting Slashed' rally about the importance ot voter registration lor students
ASUO 1 voter registration drive will continue through March the deadline tor the
presidential primary