BAS, ASA sponsor voter registration party

In a last minute effort to get minority students to register to vote, the Black Action… In a last minute effort to get minority students to register to vote, the Black Action Society and Asian Students Alliance hosted a registration party Sunday night in the Lower Lounge of the William Pitt Union.

Blaring rap music and a table overflowing with Pizza Outlet Pizza and General Tso’s chicken and rice beckoned passersby into the Lower Lounge.

Although Keith Stockdale, a Pitt undergraduate thought the “food was enticing,” he also thought that it was imperative for students to register to vote.

“I think our age group is severely underrepresented,” Stockdale, 25, said. “People our age make the worst showing at the polls so it’s important for us to register.”

For BAS Vice President Cynthia Gordy, letting politicians know minority students are interested in politics is a pressing issue.

“We are voting. We are paying attention to world events,” Gordy said.

In addition, Gordy said while those in minority groups have had the right to vote for some time, they do not always exercise their rights.

“By voting we are paying homage to our ancestors,” Gordy said. “They fought hard to vote so it’s important for us to respect them and respect what they fought for.”

Helen Cho, the political chairperson for ASA, was responsible for planning most of the night’s activities. She said that she had around three days to plan everything.

“We had absolutely no time to plan this,” Cho said. “We handed out countless fliers to people anywhere we could.”

Cho was happy with the way things turned out but is already looking into the future.

“Hopefully next year, we’ll have a lot more time and money to plans things,” Cho said. “But I was pleased with how everything went.”

ASA President F. Jay Ver cited the need for action.

“We need to start a process of movement,” Ver said. “There are a lot of minority students who are politically minded.”

Gordy felt many minority students are not involved with politics because they feel politicians don’t speak to them.

“Minorities are disenfranchised from politics,” Gordy said. “They think that politicians ignore them.”

BAS President DeShaun Sewell said she was thrilled to be able to work with another minority student group.

“BAS is excited to work with the ASA on this important issue,” Sewell said. “Minority students are the hardest people to motivate to vote.”

Sewell said the event was also geared to get students to register to vote before the Oct. 10 deadline.

“There’s almost no time left to register,” Sewell said. “This is it. This is the last chance.”

“I believe minority students have more pressing issues,” Cho said. “We need to get ourselves to help ourselves.”

To help attract students to the event, a Twister tournament was held with 16 people playing on four mats. ASA member Sruthi Pandipati outlasted all other contestants and earned a brand-new MP3 player for her efforts.

An estimated 60 to 70 students registered to vote at the event.