IVCC wins eagle for voter registration
By Jessica Coppes
IV Leader Co-Editor, Feb. 21, 2003
IVCC’s Student Government Association held a voter registration drive in the fall, in conjunction with an ongoing campus registration drive by faculty and staff members who are registrars. This included geology instructor Mike Phillips, chair of the ongoing campus registration drive.
“Many volunteers contributed their time and effort to increase awareness, register voters and encourage people to go to the polls,” said Cory Tomasson, director of student activities.
The registration drive was a contest between all Illinois Community Colleges through the Illinois Community College Board-Student Advisory Committee, which is made up of community college student trustees and a few student government association members. IVCC’s ICCB-SAC representatives are Student Trustee Bekah Peterson and SGA Vice-President Jessica Coppes.
The contest goal was for each student government to get full time students registered to vote because the number of registered voters in the 18 to 24 age group is so low.
The Illinois Community College Trustee’s Association expected each school to register around 2 to 3 percent of their full-time students.
IVCC took first place with “an unprecedented” 25 percent and received a bronzed eagle trophy.
Peterson, head of the drive, said “We were amazed at the number of students who were not registered. It was exciting to help them take part in the process.”