2008 Woodie Awards
Secretary of state to speak on voting
Sam Reed to visit as part of GSBA-sponsored election month
Elizabeth Steinhaus
Issue date: 9/19/08 Section: News
Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed will speak on campus Oct. 7 to encourage students to vote, as well as to answer questions about the upcoming presidential election.
Reed, a Republican, is no stranger to the city of Spokane. He graduated from nearby Lewis and Clark High School before attending Washington State University
for his bachelor's and master's degrees. Unsurprisingly, it was easy to get him to come to Gonzaga to motivate young voters.
"Especially here at Gonzaga, people are really into community service," community events chair Stephanie Rokich said. "But that can be a very short-term solution to problems. Voting is a more long-term solution."
As part of GSBA's election month, Reed will visit campus to discuss prominent issues in November's election.
"We thought it was important for him to talk about a lot of the things the students talk about here on campus, like the economy, poverty, the war in Iraq and sustainability," Rokich said. "He does talks like this all the time. He's really into motivating college students to vote."
According to Reed's office, if only 133 more college students had voted in the last election, it might have changed the outcome.
"Statistics like that really put things in perspective," Rokich said.
This is why GSBA thinks it is necessary to get Gonzaga students to the polls.
"Reed's speech will encourage students to vote and hopefully enlighten them on some issues," Speaker of the Senate Greg Anderson said. "It's also a great opportunity for them to ask questions if they have any."
But Reed's speech is just one of many events GSBA plans to host in the next few weeks.
"GSBA is doing a whole series of election-related events," Rokich said. "We wanted to put on events that would get the students excited and motivated to vote."
Some of these events include a talk by MTV Real World Star Jose Tapia on Oct. 3 and an appearance by the debate team on Oct. 14. The debate team will be separated into Republicans and Democrats and represent each party's platforms.
Additionally, GSBA will operate registration booths from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in front of Crosby on Sept. 23 and 30.
"With registration, we're targeting mainly freshmen because they probably just turned 18," Rokich said. "We'll have registration forms for Washington residents and information for people from other states."
GSBA hopes these events will remind students how important their votes are in November's history-making election.
"As college students, we're getting ready to go into the work force," Rokich said. "Especially with the economy issues, we need to vote and voice our opinions."
"It really is a big step for Gonzaga to have such a big name come on campus to empower students," Anderson said.
Reed's speech will begin at 7 p.m. at the Jundt Auditorium. Admission is free, and students should come early to get seats. Reed will be available for questions afterward.
Reed, a Republican, is no stranger to the city of Spokane. He graduated from nearby Lewis and Clark High School before attending Washington State University
for his bachelor's and master's degrees. Unsurprisingly, it was easy to get him to come to Gonzaga to motivate young voters.
"Especially here at Gonzaga, people are really into community service," community events chair Stephanie Rokich said. "But that can be a very short-term solution to problems. Voting is a more long-term solution."
As part of GSBA's election month, Reed will visit campus to discuss prominent issues in November's election.
"We thought it was important for him to talk about a lot of the things the students talk about here on campus, like the economy, poverty, the war in Iraq and sustainability," Rokich said. "He does talks like this all the time. He's really into motivating college students to vote."
According to Reed's office, if only 133 more college students had voted in the last election, it might have changed the outcome.
"Statistics like that really put things in perspective," Rokich said.
This is why GSBA thinks it is necessary to get Gonzaga students to the polls.
"Reed's speech will encourage students to vote and hopefully enlighten them on some issues," Speaker of the Senate Greg Anderson said. "It's also a great opportunity for them to ask questions if they have any."
But Reed's speech is just one of many events GSBA plans to host in the next few weeks.
"GSBA is doing a whole series of election-related events," Rokich said. "We wanted to put on events that would get the students excited and motivated to vote."
Some of these events include a talk by MTV Real World Star Jose Tapia on Oct. 3 and an appearance by the debate team on Oct. 14. The debate team will be separated into Republicans and Democrats and represent each party's platforms.
Additionally, GSBA will operate registration booths from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in front of Crosby on Sept. 23 and 30.
"With registration, we're targeting mainly freshmen because they probably just turned 18," Rokich said. "We'll have registration forms for Washington residents and information for people from other states."
GSBA hopes these events will remind students how important their votes are in November's history-making election.
"As college students, we're getting ready to go into the work force," Rokich said. "Especially with the economy issues, we need to vote and voice our opinions."
"It really is a big step for Gonzaga to have such a big name come on campus to empower students," Anderson said.
Reed's speech will begin at 7 p.m. at the Jundt Auditorium. Admission is free, and students should come early to get seats. Reed will be available for questions afterward.
Be the first to comment on this story