Spring Break
Will.i.am, 'Fresh Prince' actress in UC Auditorium on Sunday
By: D.J. Palomares
Issue date: 9/19/08 Section: News
Students for Barack Obama are planning a different kind of voter registration drive to 'get it started.'
Black Eyed Peas performer Will.i.am and hip-hop artist and actress Tatyana Ali, known for her role as Ashley Banks in the '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," will make an appearance at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
"A couple of lucky kids are going to have celebrities come up and ask for them to vote," said College Democrats president and Lowell senior Karl Bouwhuis. "Ideally we would like to have every student registered to vote, but if we could get another thousand or two registered in the next couple weeks, that would be great."
Students for Barack Obama and the College Democrats have been hosting a registration drive during the last month and has added 2,000 new voters to the electorate.
The event is aimed at registering young voters on campus and in the area.
"Sen. Obama would not be this far along in the election process were it not for the youth vote," said president of Students for Barack Obama and Freeland senior Matthew Sous. "The youth vote got him through the primary. I believe the youth vote is going to get him the presidency as well."
Campus Conservatives filed a complaint to the Michigan Department of State, stating the rally will violate the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.
The law states public resources must not be used for partisan political purposes. Campus Conservatives claims because this is a rally for Sen. Obama, the campaign must pay to rent the room.
"The school could alleviate the situation by forcing the Obama campaign to pay for the facility," said Campus Conservatives spokesman and Topinabee senior Dennis Lennox II. "Instead, the Obama campaign broke the law by going through their student organization to get free access to the tax-payer funded facilities. It is a bit ironic for somebody who promises a new style of politics to be coming up with creative ways to break Michigan law."
Students for Barack Obama, a registered student organization, will use the room, free of charge, as allowed by the CMU policy.
"Any registered student organization has access to the space," said Building Director of the University Center Jim Burke. "There are no rules on how to use it."
Lennox did not contact the university, Students for Barack Obama or the Obama campaign before Campus Conservatives issued the complaint.
Sous said Lennox's claim is unjustified.
"This is just another one of Dennis' attempts to get himself in the news," Sous said. "He really doesn't care if he advances any type of agenda. He just wants to make a name for himself."
news@cm-life.com
Black Eyed Peas performer Will.i.am and hip-hop artist and actress Tatyana Ali, known for her role as Ashley Banks in the '90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," will make an appearance at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
"A couple of lucky kids are going to have celebrities come up and ask for them to vote," said College Democrats president and Lowell senior Karl Bouwhuis. "Ideally we would like to have every student registered to vote, but if we could get another thousand or two registered in the next couple weeks, that would be great."
Students for Barack Obama and the College Democrats have been hosting a registration drive during the last month and has added 2,000 new voters to the electorate.
The event is aimed at registering young voters on campus and in the area.
"Sen. Obama would not be this far along in the election process were it not for the youth vote," said president of Students for Barack Obama and Freeland senior Matthew Sous. "The youth vote got him through the primary. I believe the youth vote is going to get him the presidency as well."
Campus Conservatives filed a complaint to the Michigan Department of State, stating the rally will violate the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.
The law states public resources must not be used for partisan political purposes. Campus Conservatives claims because this is a rally for Sen. Obama, the campaign must pay to rent the room.
"The school could alleviate the situation by forcing the Obama campaign to pay for the facility," said Campus Conservatives spokesman and Topinabee senior Dennis Lennox II. "Instead, the Obama campaign broke the law by going through their student organization to get free access to the tax-payer funded facilities. It is a bit ironic for somebody who promises a new style of politics to be coming up with creative ways to break Michigan law."
Students for Barack Obama, a registered student organization, will use the room, free of charge, as allowed by the CMU policy.
"Any registered student organization has access to the space," said Building Director of the University Center Jim Burke. "There are no rules on how to use it."
Lennox did not contact the university, Students for Barack Obama or the Obama campaign before Campus Conservatives issued the complaint.
Sous said Lennox's claim is unjustified.
"This is just another one of Dennis' attempts to get himself in the news," Sous said. "He really doesn't care if he advances any type of agenda. He just wants to make a name for himself."
news@cm-life.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 15
Jack Brown
posted 9/19/08 @ 10:51 AM EST
I'm appalled that Barack Obama is using students and taxpayers to pay for his campaign rally at Central Michigan University.
I thought he had oodles of money. (Continued…)
Ellen May
posted 9/19/08 @ 3:24 PM EST
Why is C.M.U. being allowed to skirt the law and give an auditorium away for free? This isn't right. Perhaps the employees don't know the law, but Obama should know it (isn't he a lawyer?). (Continued…)
Art Green
posted 9/19/08 @ 10:04 PM EST
Why would Barack Obama be forced to rent the UC Auditorium? Are potential John McCain voters banned from appearing and registering to vote?
No.
Eddie Munster
posted 9/20/08 @ 11:47 AM EST
As I said in a comment on another story, the CMU administration and faculty should have a line of separation from the political groups. There shouldn't be any relationship. (Continued…)
Josh Melvin
posted 9/20/08 @ 8:34 PM EST
You're all missing one key point. The UC auditorium is being used by Students for Obama, a Registered Student Organization.
Like it says in the article, an RSO can use the facilities for whatever it wants, within reason. (Continued…)
Ryan Lathrop
posted 9/20/08 @ 9:58 PM EST
Of course Obama could afford to rent a room at cmu.If he wanted to he could rent out plachta for the next 5 years and use it soley as his Mid-Michigan ping pong room. (Continued…)
Adolf Schicklgruber
posted 9/21/08 @ 6:08 PM EST
Dennis Lennox is an informed student. The university has wronged him.
Tired of the B.S.
posted 9/21/08 @ 9:56 PM EST
Hey Morons!!! Students for Barack Obaba is an RSO, thus they get the space for free...READ THE STORY BEFORE YOU GET SO UPSET!!! You actually think Obama knows what every RSO at every university is doing and where they are doing it?!?!?! Give me a break, Students for John McCain (if there are any) can do the same thing. (Continued…)
Will the real Dennis Lennox please stand up?
posted 9/22/08 @ 8:53 AM EST
Hey everybody! I'm anonymously commenting on this story over and over again to keep it high in the "most commented" list and pound home my ridiculous partisan message. (Continued…)
Adolf Schickelgruber
posted 9/22/08 @ 3:37 PM EST
Dennis Lennox is a hero of the white race! He stands up for Ubermenschen everywhere! He is so bourgeoisie!
Viva Lennox! Viva Europe! Viva Monarchy! Viva White Power! Viva Aristocracy! God Save the Queen!
If only our country had more Classical Liberals like him!
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