Black sororities, fraternities rally for young votes
Jennifer Kouakeu and Phillip Lucas/Contributing writers
Issue date: 10/19/08 Section: Politics
Students praised the efforts of The Links to prepare new registered voters for the election.
"Not enough emphasis is put on by voter registration drives to educate new voters to make informed decisions," said Shana Benjamin, a junior political science major at Howard University. "However, the information is out there. If you want to find it, you can. Making an informed decision is the responsibility of the individual."
At the University of Maryland, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority is tackling the task of informing new prospective voters what to expect at the polls and what to expect from each candidate.
"It's pretty obvious who the presidential candidates are," Monika Young, president of UMD's chapter of Zeta Phi Beta said. But, Young doesn't think the youths know enough about what each candidate stands for on issues critical to them.
Young cited a poll indicating that more youths will not vote because they feel they do not know enough to make an informed decision.
The sorority has mounted an education campaign of informational pamphlets aimed at reducing the number of uninformed decisions. The sorority calls its campaign, "Knowing Your Candidates."
"The pamphlets will give the youth information about issues that will impact their lives in the upcoming years," Young, a kinesiology major, explained.
The pamphlets cover such topics as the economy, war in Iraq, education, jobs and unemployment, fuel costs and healthcare.
Young credits initiatives like Rock the Vote and Respect My Vote for getting young adults more involved in the political process.
But Joshua McCave, president of UMD's chapter of Phi Beta Sigma, knows being involved and being informed are two separate things when casting a vote for the future president.
"As the election fast approaches, we are trying to ensure that all members in the youth community understand what's at stake and who the next potential president is," McCave said. "Because Bush can no longer remain President, the youth should know that Obama or McCain will be different in certain aspects. Therefore, having awareness is critical.
"Not enough emphasis is put on by voter registration drives to educate new voters to make informed decisions," said Shana Benjamin, a junior political science major at Howard University. "However, the information is out there. If you want to find it, you can. Making an informed decision is the responsibility of the individual."
At the University of Maryland, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority is tackling the task of informing new prospective voters what to expect at the polls and what to expect from each candidate.
"It's pretty obvious who the presidential candidates are," Monika Young, president of UMD's chapter of Zeta Phi Beta said. But, Young doesn't think the youths know enough about what each candidate stands for on issues critical to them.
Young cited a poll indicating that more youths will not vote because they feel they do not know enough to make an informed decision.
The sorority has mounted an education campaign of informational pamphlets aimed at reducing the number of uninformed decisions. The sorority calls its campaign, "Knowing Your Candidates."
"The pamphlets will give the youth information about issues that will impact their lives in the upcoming years," Young, a kinesiology major, explained.
The pamphlets cover such topics as the economy, war in Iraq, education, jobs and unemployment, fuel costs and healthcare.
Young credits initiatives like Rock the Vote and Respect My Vote for getting young adults more involved in the political process.
But Joshua McCave, president of UMD's chapter of Phi Beta Sigma, knows being involved and being informed are two separate things when casting a vote for the future president.
"As the election fast approaches, we are trying to ensure that all members in the youth community understand what's at stake and who the next potential president is," McCave said. "Because Bush can no longer remain President, the youth should know that Obama or McCain will be different in certain aspects. Therefore, having awareness is critical.
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