For Immediate Release
December 11, 2007
Contacts:
Stacey Wilson, Iowa
PIRG, Drake University student, 920-450-4618 (cell)
Sujatha Jahagirdar, Iowa PIRG, 323-309-6120 (cell)
Iowa
Student Leaders Decry Calls for Disenfranchisement
In response to a column posted
today by the Des Moines Register
and statements recently issued by several presidential candidates, we as Iowa
student leaders are urging all of the presidential candidates to encourage
youth turnout, instead of discouraging youth participation in the Iowa
caucuses. The full statement is below.
Statement in Support of Full Voting Rights for Iowa Youth
It is has
recently come to our attention that some presidential candidates are suggesting
that students in Iowa
should not caucus. We're shocked that any national figure would advocate for
youth disenfranchisement. This goes against the very grain of our democracy and
the core values of our nation. We live here in Iowa for the majority of the year and make
our homes here; we are active participants in our communities- volunteering,
giving back and contributing intellectual and financial resources to the state.
To say that students who didn’t grow up in Iowa, but who now live here, shouldn’t have
the choice to participate in the caucuses is blatant voter
disenfranchisement.
We have been working
hard to encourage our peers to be active participants in their democracy
because college students and young people should be more involved in politics.
The Secretary of State’s office is clear that college students have the choice
and the right to vote and caucus in Iowa.
We all know that more young
people need to get involved in the political process and we are asking you to
take the following steps to ensure that this happens:
First, make it clear
through your actions and issue a statement that you support all young Iowans –
including students – right to vote and caucus in Iowa
whether we are from Iowa or attend college in Iowa. Second, come in to
our communities and actively seek us out and engage us on the issues we care
about.
Sincerely,
Barrett
Anderson, Student Government President, University of Iowa
Alan
Cosby, Student Government Chief of Staff, University
of Iowa
Alejandro Alonso, Student Senator, University
of Iowa
Harrison Wheeler, Student Government Publicity Chair, University of Iowa
Brian Phillips, Student Body President, Iowa
State University
Dan Sadowski, Student Government President, Drake
University
Julian Vandervelde, Right Guard for Hawkeyes football team, University of Iowa
Frederick Warren, Co-President Drake Environmental Action League, Drake University
Kaitlyn
Golden, Student Leader, Drake University
Jessica Fischer, Student Leader, Drake
University
Megan Bailey, Student Leader, Drake University
Rachel Haase, Student leader, Drake University
Kate Preston, Student leader, Drake University
Megan Stephenson, Iowa PIRG coordinator, University
of Iowa
Colleen Delahanty, Iowa PIRG coordinator, University
of Iowa
Stacey Wilson, Iowa PIRG
Chair, Drake University
Devin Hartman, Iowa PIRG
Chair, Iowa State University
Eleanor Kahn, Iowa PIRG
Chair, Iowa State University Iowa State
Ryan Crane, Iowa PIRG Chair,
University of Northern Iowa
Kristen
Paeth, Iowa PIRG Co-Chair, University of Northern Iowa
Samuel
Charnetski, President of Inter-Fraternity Council, University of Northern
Iowa
Kristin Langner, President of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender Club, University
of Northern Iowa
Alex Cahill, Vice President, St. Ambrose University Student Government
