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Archive for July, 2010
You free tonight?
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
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Jason Bio: Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
News Round-Up: July 30, 2010
Friday, July 30th, 2010Hello Rockers!
In today’s news we see unemployment overshadowing the Afghanistan War in buzz topics for the midterm election – and Obama saying the real solution to our economic woes is education!
Crucial:
Are textbooks weighing you down? You might just catch a break: http://bit.ly/bUVTEm
A new law this month, the Higher Education Opportunity Act, allows college students to shop around more for deals on textbooks, meaning your expenses may not be as high!
Locked up votes: http://nyti.ms/9pK3Rn
In Massachusetts, prison inmates have challenged a 10-year-old state constitutional amendment that stripped them of the right to vote while incarcerated. What do you think the next solicitor general’s position should be?
In a summer of suffering, U.S. casualties in Afghanistan soar to record highs: http://bit.ly/bteSS4
America has seen back-to-back casualty records the past two months as the death tolls continues to rise for our brave soldiers fighting in the Afghanistan war.
Yet the Afghanistan War barely surfaces in discussions for this year’s midterm elections: http://nyti.ms/d2ya2C
Jobs and the economy continue to dominate political discussions, with immigration also a hot topic for this year’s candidates… What do you care about most?
So what is the key economic issue? Obama says it’s education: http://bit.ly/9eYkk9
President Obama says the country’s long-term economic success will be tied to the success of the nation’s schools. Check out the video!
The latest program this summer? Boehner’s Cash-For-Speaker fund: http://politi.co/cS29pK
Determined to take back the House for the GOP, Ohio’s Boehner launched a “Boehner for Speaker” committee that aims to boost the party’s fundraising.
A long journey: A student from Charlotte is crossing borders for immigrants: http://bit.ly/aWuVM3
A rising N.C. State senior is walking, hitchhiking and photographing a 4,000-mile journey that many immigrants make to raise awareness about immigration.
Cultural:
#FreeSnooki! http://bit.ly/cph3Sf
Jersey Shore’s guidette was arrested today on the beach for drinking.
Another “Idol” judge hits the dust: http://bit.ly/d3SmgZ
First Simon and now Ellen? Yep, DeGeneres will leave “American Idol” after just one season.
Adam Levine takes a stand against nukes! http://bit.ly/dd82jh
The Maroon 5 lead singer promotes his anti-nuclear views in a “Take Part” PSA promoting the documetnary “Countdown to Zero.”
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Rachel Bio: Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
DMB Fans Rock the Vote
Thursday, July 29th, 2010Last night in Tampa, Rock the Vote volunteers joined the Dave Matthews Band concert for some great music and great fun. We’re always happy to take in a DMB show, especially because the band stays so politically engaged and active. In 2002, they were recipients of our Patrick Lippert Award for just that reason.
Lots of young people visited Rock the Vote’s tent to register to vote and discuss November’s elections. We met scores of very passionate young people that were happy to register, update their address, and sign a pledge to vote.
These days, we are seeing a ton of new campaign attack ads that don’t discuss issues impacting Florida’s young voters. Meanwhile, pundits are questioning young people’s enthusiasm and questioning, again, if young people care enough to vote.
As Rock the Vote attends concerts and community events across the country, we see firsthand how much the millennial generation cares. More and more young people are signing up to register, or update their registration and committing to vote. We are responding to these engaged young people by providing voter registration forms and pledge cards for voters. Those who pledge then receive a reminder to vote fearlessly just prior to election day.
Florida’s young people are stepping up and pledging to vote. Join them by registering here.
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blaire@rockthevote.com Bio: Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
News Round-Up: July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 29th, 2010Hello Rockers!
Today we see wealthy candidates among struggling economies. But at least New York is trying to help its students find jobs.
Crucial:
An after-school jobs program is helping students find work in NY! http://bit.ly/ckhC6z
We all know how difficult it is for young people to find employment right now. A U.S. senate panel will soon determine whether they will give federal money to an after-school job support service for 100 at-risk youth in Rochester.
The Year of the Woman? More like the Year of the Women! http://nyti.ms/dvYGCj
After yesterday’s primary, two women – Fallin and Askins – will face each other in Oklahoma’s first-ever contest between two female governor candidates! New Mexico’s governor race also features two women, and females are running for governor in a dozen states!
Will the FBI have an easier time accessing individuals’ Internet browser history? http://n.pr/aYEzdp
The Obama administration wants to make it easier for the FBI to obtain records on individual Internet activities without first having to obtain a court order when it comes to intelligence information… what do you think?
Money really does pay in Florida! Wealthy candidates are leading election polls: http://bit.ly/an2eTD
Two wealthy candidates – Rick Scott for Republican governor and Alex Sink for Democratic Senator – are leading their races with double-digit numbers.
The new trending topic? #99ers: http://exm.nr/bluh03
A fast-growing group of unemployed American call themselves the 99ers because they have exhausted all of their regular unemployment insurance benefits, all Emergency Unemployment (EUC) and all State Extended Benefits – a maximum of 99 weeks. In Colorado, this number has been rising to over 16,000.
Federal bucks aren’t very stimulating in Philadelphia: http://bit.ly/9aPVXG
The federal stimulus money hasn’t helped Philadelphia’s budget woes and unemployment continues to grow.
Cultural
President Obama wasn’t invited to Clinton’s wedding – but he’s not offended! http://bit.ly/dDsO7N
Obama jokes about the difficulties of having two presidents at one wedding – he doesn’t want the Secret Service to have to open up all of Clinton’s wedding gifts for possible threats.
BURN! Leonardo DiCaprio pulls out of Mel Gibson’s Viking movie: http://bit.ly/akqBFo
Just in: the “Inception” star allegedly has withdrawn from acting in a movie directed by the controversial Gibson.
CBS will add diversity with three more gay characters on its shows: http://bit.ly/9jStu2
After a failing diversity grade from GLAAD, CBS has decided to introduce more gay characters on its scripted programs.
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Rachel Bio: Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
Taking the Reigns on Democracy Class
Thursday, July 29th, 2010This Wednesday I went to help teach a Democracy Class in Philadelphia with David, another Duke intern. We went to the Community College of Philadelphia, which administers an Upward Bound program. This federal program aims to increase college attendance rates by providing support to high school students during the summer months.
When we arrived, we initially thought we were just going to help Colin (the Pennsylvania state coordinator) and observe him teaching the class. Instead, he gave David and me the opportunity to run the lesson all on our own! Although I was excited, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Am I prepared? Will I engage their attention? Will I be able to present well and get the message across?
We arrived early to prepare the PowerPoint and run through the lesson. Once we were all set up, the class arrived with their teacher. After she introduced us, I started, “I’d like to know if anyone has heard of Rock the Vote before?” Some were shaking their heads, but one person blurted out, “Did you guys work with MTV?” I smiled and said, “We have worked with music artists!” I explained RTV’s mission, how it grew out of the “Censorship is UnAmerican” Campaign, and mentioned people that the organization has worked with.
Then, David talked about the history of voting rights. One of the slides in the presentation shows an Iraqi woman with a purple finger, indicating that she has already voted. We explained that even though Iraq and Afghanistan have the right to vote, there have been reports of people getting their hands chopped off for having this purple mark. A student in the class asked, “Why would anyone vote and get their finger purple if they knew that they could get it cut off?”
I explained to her that in the past Iraqis and Afghanis had been deprived of voting power and now take pride in this new right. So for them, the right to vote outweighs the risk of getting their hand chopped off. I told her, “It just goes to show the importance of voting and the lengths people take in order to have their voices heard.” Although surprised, she nodded and understood the message we wanted to get across.
For the rest of the lesson the students listened to political music, talked about issues that mattered to them, and participated in a mock election. By the end, they walked away with a new perspective on political participation. Voting is sometimes taken for granted, but Democracy Class helps us show its importance and can inspire students to make sure their voices are heard.
If you want to learn more about Democracy Class, please visit the Democracy Class website here.
-Catalina Hidalgo
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Rock the Vote Bio: Rock the Vote was founded in 1990 to organize artists and fight against censorship of musicians. Since then we've evolved to focus on empowering young people to get involved in the political process. We use pop culture, peer-to-peer organizing, and the latest technology to raise visibility of politics and demystify the process of registering to vote. @rockthevote Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
