September-October, 1988 THE LION'S EYE page 5 Political talk NATIONAL STUDENT CONFERENCE TO TAP YOUTH’S POLITICAL CLOUT Students and youth are an untapped force in American poli- tics, largely ignored by politi- cians. To activate that potential en- ergy, over 550 student leaders na- tionwide are convening the Na- tional Student Conference on Voter Participation to address the issues of student conceern in the 1988 elections. The conference, which will be held in Washington, D.C. Sep- tember 30-October 2, will address two main obstacles to voter par- ticipation rates; alack of informa- tion on voter registration proce- dures and a lack of information on - the candidates, their platforms, and the issues. | “While studies show that young people are more likely to express interest in politics and optimism about the effects of their vote, “ stated Laura Saun- ders, student government presi- dent at Borough of Manhattan Community College, “political parties and candidates spend less time and resources on outreach to young voters than to any other age group of the electorate.” “It’s a Catch-22 situation. Po- ~ liticans write off the student vote because they think students don’t care, and students are less in- clined to vote because politicians ignore them” explained Cather- ine Crane, director of the Na- tional Student Campaign for Voter Registration. The student event will combat voter participation obstacles through a combination of activi- ties over the conference weekend: - Keynote speeches will pro- vide the political parties an op- portunity to articulate their plat- forms, - issue sessions on higher edu- cation, economic opportunity, for- eign policy, AIDS, the environ- ment, civil rights and arms con- trol will allow students to gain substantive information on is- sues facing the country, - workshops on voter partici- pation strategies and leadership skill led by the League of Women Voters, Project VOTE, NAACP and other will prepare students to Association. carrry out effective voter partici- pation drives, - campus delegations from Florida to California and Massa- chusetts to Texas will meet to share their experience from the conference and one another. “Young voters are a sleeping giant as a political force” asserted Maureen Kirk, chair of the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) and a student at University of Oregon. “There are as many 18-24 year olds as there are 65 year olds and over. To exercise our political clout as effec- tively as the seniors do, we must get registered, get mobilized and get out and vote.” The 1988 conference is based on the highly successful 1984 Na- tional Student Conference of Voter Registration (NSCVR) held at Harvard University. The 1984 conference was called to help stem the rapid drop in youth voter par- ticipation rates. Between 1972 and 1980, voting among 18-24 year olds declined from about 50 percent to 39 percent, the lowest percentage of any democracy. The NSCVR conference resulted in the registration of 500,000 new vot- gers and helped to bring about the first increase in youth voter par- ticipation rates in over a decade. “Once registered, 80 percent of all 18-24 year olds vote on election day” said Fred Azcarate, presi- dent of the United States Student “It’s time for the parties to take a serious look at the young voters that are now estab- lishing voting patterns they are likely to follow for the next half- century, and it’s time for students and youth to hold the parties ac- countable for their actions on stu- dent related issues.” The National Student Confer- ence on Voter Participation is being sponsored by the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), The United States Stu- dent Association (USSA), the National Student Campaign on Voter Registration (NSCVR), The National Student Educational Fund Student Empowerment Training Project (SET). WRITE FOR THE LION'S EYE! Campus Liaison speaks out from University Park David Paukovitz College Democrat Commonwealth Campus Liaison, University Park With the start of Fall semester 1988, the College Democrats at Uni- versity Park have become more or- ganized than ever, Many plans have been made for the upcoming year and many goals have been set. One of these goals is to increase membership within our organization. A substan- tial number of students are currently members of College Democrats at University Park, but we are still look- ing to expand. With the help of inter- - ested students at all the Common- wealth Campuses, we can accomplish this goal. We're looking for students who are willing to put time into or- ganizing a College Democrat group at their respective Commonwealth Campus. Once a group of interested students has been established at a campus, they will be in constant con- tact and work in conjunction with the College Democrats a U. P. and the Democratic County Chairman in that county. For those students who are interested, my address and phone number are below, or leave your name and phone number with the Student Government Association at your cam- pus. I am looking forward to working with you as soon as possible, espe- cially to help with the Dukakis cam- paign as the presidential election draws near. David Paukovitz, College Democrat Commonwealth Campus Liaison 105 Pinchot Hall University Park, Pa. 16802 (814) 862-6012 SGA continued from previous page Finally, Student Government is available for the students at this campus for the students and plays a role in University affairs. SGA wants the students to have a ful- filling year of cultural events, dances, and other activities which can enhance a student’s social awareness and enthusiasm to get involved. If you or your friends have ideas that can get people involved with school spirit and pride, come to our office. Spirit and pride are very important elements at Penn State. Well, I really hope students at this campus will come to our office in the future and get involved with the Student Government. As stated before, we are located in the S.L.A.M. center, and our office hours are11:30 a.m. t0 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Get in- volved, join committees, and help make the year great. See ya around! Dear Student, KING OR ® We at Burger King have come up with a way to help you pay for your college tuition. We understand how difficult it is for today’s student to incur all of the financial burden for one’s own education. The program we have developed for you is something we are very enthusiastic about. We sincerely hope you decide to share in this enthusiasm! We can offer you up to $500 annually towards tuition by you simply working part-time! Either way you look at it, that’s a nice chunk of financial responsibility lifted from your shoulders. Take advantage of this by applying for employment with Burger King at the Penn State Delaware County Campus Ca- reer Center, in the main building. Completed applications should be returned to the Burger King Restaurants! Thank you, Summerwood Corporation T/A Burger King
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers