Cottey students learning to fight voter apathy

By Lynn A. Wade

Nevada Daily Mail

Coming soon -- election polls near you. The next election is Aug. 3, and across the nation, it's a safe bet that voter turnout will be low.

Voter apathy is everywhere. It's non-partisan and afflicts both the old and young, male and female. But three students from Cottey College hope a national effort to get out the vote while honing the leadership skills of women will help them do away with some of that apathy.

The three students headed to New York this week to take part in intensive get-out-the-vote training and to kick off the national vote, run, lead initiative in New York City, hosted by the New York Times in cooperation with the Women's College Coalition and the White House Project.

It promises to be a unique and valuable learning experience, and an opportunity to meet and network with other women throughout the nation for Fran Martirano Holly Melees, who will each begin a second year at Cottey in September; and for Tracy Hass, who graduated from Cottey this spring and plans to attend Hood College in Frederick, Md., this fall.

"I'm excited about it. There are three from Cottey who are going, and I'm sure the others are looking forward to it," Hass said.

She noted she's not really sure of the itinerary, but a tour of the Times headquarters in Times Square is included as well as a session about news editing conducted by Times professionals.

"And we'll be listening to various women about leadership roles," she said, noting it's hard to guess what the experience will be like in advance.

Hass said she's pleased to have been selected for the trip.

"Being associated with the student newspaper, they knew I would have a personal interest -- and I think largely, (those who attend) are excellent students, but it's mainly because of our interest in something like this. One other girl, Holly, had attended women's rights event in Washington, D.C."

The training sessions will provide state-by-state information on the voting process, action plans, get-out-the-vote tactics and Election Day strategies to involve more people in the process. A second session will offer information aimed at preparing women to run for office and educating women about public speaking, fund-raising and field organizing.

"Young women have powerful voices and strong leadership qualities, said Marie C. Wilson, president of the White House Project, which works to advance women's leadership in all arenas. "We have to endure that they play a visible role in our democracy."

Although the session she's attending focuses on young women specifically, Hass has a broader application in mind for the knowledge she brings back. She's hoping the new-found knowledge will enable her to make a difference, both in fighting voter apathy and in her future career.

"I'm hoping to walk away from the experience with more friendships, of course, with women across the country, and to be better equipped with knowledge to get my generation out there (as voters)," she said.

Hass thinks every generation has voter apathy systems, in part because many aren't aware of registration procedures, how, when and where to vote and so on.