Student groups rally for green cause
by Elizabeth Mathie
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
In
collaboration with the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research
Group, Power Vote held a petition-signing rally in Library Mall at the
University of Wisconsin Monday.
Student volunteers and leaders
from WISPIRG and Power Vote, a non-partisan group that advocates for
clean energy, asked passing students to sign a pledge, which stated
they will vote and elevate the issue of climate change in the upcoming
election, said Power Vote Organizer Susan Hildebrand.
UW
alumnus Jessy Tolkan, the national director of Power Vote, spoke about
the upcoming election, while model wind turbines and free bagels and
pastries for students were offered on the windy afternoon.
Although Power Vote is not affiliated with any specific party, they are targeting a specific group of voters.
“We’re
targeting young voters,” Hildebrand said. “They care about the economy,
they care about the environment, and they care about stopping wars over
foreign oil, and that’s who we’re talking to.”
Hildebrand
stressed that Power Vote was not interested in naming one candidate
more desirable on the issue of environmental change.
“That’s
not out concern,” Hildebrand said. “We’re looking at elevating this
issue. … Both candidates need to be moving in the right direction on
this issue.”
Power Vote hopes to gather more than 4,500
pledges at UW, said Frances Tsukano, a student coordinator of Power
Vote. In their effort to achieve this goal, Power Vote has organized
dorm storms, class raps and petitioning every day up to the election,
among other things, she said.
“UW-Madison really is leading the way in trying to engage as many students on campus as possible,” she said.
Tolkan added Power Vote hopes to make a statement about the youth vote as whole.
“We
anticipate a record turnout of young voters on Nov. 4, and we want to
send a message … that young people are not just turning out to vote for
a candidate, they’re turning out to vote on a platform of addressing
global climate change,” Tolkan said.
Tolkan said students can make a statement by voting.
“If
you’re a student and you want to make sure you’re doing all you can to
fight for clean and just energy, you should definitely vote on Nov. 4,
first and foremost,” she said.
