About the SIUC Student Center
Information and Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Susan Coriasco
Student Center Marketing and Graphics
Phone – (618) 453-1142
Fax – (618) 453–3492
Date: September 17, 2008
PRESS RELEASE: Voter Education and Registration
In order to remind and educate people on the importance of exercising their right to vote, the Student Center is engaging in a series of events about the history of those who had to fight for those rights.
In the last month speakers from both sides of the political divide have made repeated reference to the struggles in the early 1900's by women demanding the right to vote. As part of the Student Center's project to increase voter awareness, the HBO movie "Iron Jawed Angels" which illuminates the suffragette's fight, will be shown in the Student Center Auditorium on Tuesday, September 23, at 7 pm. Dr. Barbara Brown from Political Science will introduce the film as well as be available afterward for commentary and questions.
In more recent history, African-Americans had to go through their own struggles to exercise their right to vote. On September 30, we turn our attention to that fight. As the second part of our series we will be showing "Eyes on the Prize", the PBS documentary about the struggles of African-Americans fighting for their right to vote, for justice, and for identity during the mid-1960s. Carl Ervin from Multi-Cultural Programs will introduce the film on Tuesday, September 30 at 7 pm in the Student Center Auditorium.
USG will be on hand prior to and following each film to register voters.
The culminating event in our three-part series will be the election itself. We will be hosting an Election Night Party in Ballroom B on the evening of the election, November 4. The festivities will begin at 6 pm and go until 11 pm. We encourage you to join us in watching history as it happens on our big screen. Come celebrate and/or commiserate the results of this pivotal occurrence with your friends.
For more information on these exciting events visit our website at www.studentcenter.org or call Student Center Special Programs and Center Events (SPACE) at 453-1142.
