Spring Break
Salem College students join early voting march
Lindsay Dinkins, Teradee Hagan & Whitney Pernell (COMM 105 reporters)
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: News
About 150 Obama supporters braved 80 degree temperatures to march from Salem College to the Forsyth County Board of Elections on October 16 as part of an early voting rally. Supporters included students from Salem College, Salem Academy, Winston-Salem State University, and University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
The marchers merged at the corner of Salem Avenue and Stadium Drive, shouting, "Fired up, ready to go" and "O-O-O-Obama," as they walked with a police escort into town.
Raven Symoné from "That's So Raven" briefly joined the rally in front of the Board of Elections. She posed for photographs and spoke to several students.
Krystle Watkins, Salem sophomore, said the rally will mark her first time to vote. "College students are definitely going to have an effect on the election," she said.
Nadjia Hanusic, Salem sophomore, said she was marching "to support fellow Democratic Salem sisters." Hanusic emphasized the importance of early voting. "It's not hard," she said. "All you have to do is go."
Janet Sykes, a Salem first-year, said people needed to know that young people are excited to vote.
Josh Stutts, a Forsyth Country Day high school student who joined the march, said he found out about the march through a Facebook message. He said he was impressed that North Carolina appears to be a blue state this time.
Keshia Horn, Salem junior, said she marched to support the need for change in the United States. Horn said she was tired of the negative attack ads and that she is "ready to see who the next president is."
Watkins said she thinks this election will be stressful. "Every trick in the book is going to be pulled out during the election," she said. She said she thinks that Obama is more equipped to handle the country's problems and that he "sees eye to eye with the American people."
Erin Tinsley, a Salem first-year, said she was supporting Obama because of his health care, abortion and gay rights policies.
Several students at the rally sported t-shirts and carried signs and banners that reflected their political preferences. One t-shirt read, "A Salem woman deciding her own future."
Several professors and local politicians, including Roy Carter, joined the students in the early afternoon march.
The Salem College Democrats organized the college's participation in the rally.
Ally Smith-Polin, the public relations representative for the Salem Democrats, said she was excited by the turnout.
She said that about six million new voters will vote in the upcoming election.
The marchers merged at the corner of Salem Avenue and Stadium Drive, shouting, "Fired up, ready to go" and "O-O-O-Obama," as they walked with a police escort into town.
Raven Symoné from "That's So Raven" briefly joined the rally in front of the Board of Elections. She posed for photographs and spoke to several students.
Krystle Watkins, Salem sophomore, said the rally will mark her first time to vote. "College students are definitely going to have an effect on the election," she said.
Nadjia Hanusic, Salem sophomore, said she was marching "to support fellow Democratic Salem sisters." Hanusic emphasized the importance of early voting. "It's not hard," she said. "All you have to do is go."
Janet Sykes, a Salem first-year, said people needed to know that young people are excited to vote.
Josh Stutts, a Forsyth Country Day high school student who joined the march, said he found out about the march through a Facebook message. He said he was impressed that North Carolina appears to be a blue state this time.
Keshia Horn, Salem junior, said she marched to support the need for change in the United States. Horn said she was tired of the negative attack ads and that she is "ready to see who the next president is."
Watkins said she thinks this election will be stressful. "Every trick in the book is going to be pulled out during the election," she said. She said she thinks that Obama is more equipped to handle the country's problems and that he "sees eye to eye with the American people."
Erin Tinsley, a Salem first-year, said she was supporting Obama because of his health care, abortion and gay rights policies.
Several students at the rally sported t-shirts and carried signs and banners that reflected their political preferences. One t-shirt read, "A Salem woman deciding her own future."
Several professors and local politicians, including Roy Carter, joined the students in the early afternoon march.
The Salem College Democrats organized the college's participation in the rally.
Ally Smith-Polin, the public relations representative for the Salem Democrats, said she was excited by the turnout.
She said that about six million new voters will vote in the upcoming election.
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