Number 156

In the small town of Ashland, WI , I was number 156 to VOTE! I had a smile from cheek to cheek and it felt amazing. I along with 2 other Northland College student first time voters were ecstatic about VOTING! The way I feel cannot compare to any other feeling I have had in my lifetime. As I darkened the bubble of the future president of the United States, I knew that I was living history as we know it. I know, I know, I have been saying that for almost every time, but I know that the time has come. The journey of the campaigns, the journey of the message and the journey of the politicians comes to an end today. I must say that it made me very happy to see the about 9 parties running for Presidency. I was really excited to see 2 Latino names in that ballot. The most important thing is that this journey has only just begun! Especially for this next generation! And so I tell you to VOTE! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. When you VOTE, you vote for me, for your best friend, for your mom and dad, for your brothers and sisters. You vote for your community! Voting is your Right.... it is your DUTY!

The Blame Game!!!!

As I am watching the Debate, along side undecided Voters, the students are realizing that this debate has become a game of who blames each other better!!! As some of the students laugh because of the way the candidates are answering the questions, some of the undecided voters are leaning torward Obama as they see that McCain is "trying real hard to make Obama look rediculous" some debate watchers stated. As we see the Voters watch the last of the Debate they are thinking about who they are going to Vote for! Stay tuned as I ask some of the Northland College Students about the debate and what they thought! Who they are going to vote for and why!

This Is intense!

Wow! You probably haven't heard from me in a very long time, but let me tell you I am still alive! Oh yea! And trust me I have done nothing but organizing voter registration drives and getting some of the students pumped up for the elections. I am really looking forward to seeing students getting registered to Vote at the Northland College Campus Center.

Being the Student Body President has allowed me to organize these kind of events to get the youth involved with this election season. I'm going to be honest, I have been kind of surprised to see that there are many people that are registering to vote for the first time.

Talking to some community members here in Ashland, Wisconsin has been a great experience because they tell me that they love the fact that the youth are getting involved with this election, especially because Northland College is a great part of the community. Some of the students see that the issue that is most important to them is the environment. Northland College has a great environmental focus to be a sustainable campus where students make the difference. They also find school tuition and financial aid availability one of the top priorities.

Some students have decided to get involved with the local political office, hoping to get deputies to go out and get people registered to vote. The small town movement is important to Wisconsin. As a strong political state, Wisconsin can make the difference in this year's election. I find it great to see the variety of representation is among the resedential halls when it comes to their favorite candidates. I have seen doors with signs for Palin and McCain and Obama /Biden. Groups are organizing to spread the word. Ruth Anne Atkinson, a sophomore at Northland, has started a student group for Obama/Biden and there are other groups for the Green Party, Independents, and Republicans on its way as we wind down to the debates. I will be attending the first presidential debate in Mississippi this week, and I will be reporting from there. Its going to be a great experience!!

Watching The DNC from my 13 inch TV

This week has been crazy for me here at Northland College in Wisconsin as a new group of freshman move in. As busy as I am in my role as Student Body President helping the new students get oriented, I cannot turn off my 13-inch television – I’m glued to C-Span as the Democratic National Convention is reported live. I haven’t missed the speeches and I definitely will not miss Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.

The best part of the DNC so far has been watching the parade of elected officials make speeches about issues that they think are important. Seeing and hearing folks like Rep. Luis Gutierrez talk about immigration issues gave me chills all over my body. When he spoke it felt like young progressives are really making a difference. After Gutierrez, David Plouffe spoke about registering a new generation to vote. I feel that we’re living history as we speak. And came Ray Rivera, a young man who talked about all of us getting involved in making change happen; he got me very excited about the elections this year.

Students from Northland will head down next week for the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, MN. They’re looking forward to experiencing a political convention that will be nearby. From across the political spectrum we see that young people are realizing that they make a difference. No matter if they are at home or at school, just watching the convention from wherever you are creates awareness of what is going on, who is supporting whom and why they are in that position.

Stay tuned as my fellow reporters cover the DNC live! And as I sit back and watch Nancy Pelosi speak I will absorb it – history in the making! -- Josie Sida