CLC Encourages Students To Register With “Rock The Vote” Event

Today is National Voter Registration Day, and Central Lakes College hosted a unique event to encourage students to register to vote. Music filled the south hall at CLC today as students attended the new Rock The Vote event.

“Our main goal today is to try and get the younger generation to be able to turn into life-long voters, to understand everybody’s political platform, and help them become more aware of what is going on and how people are trying to fix it,” explained Tyler Cromwell, a CLC Student Senate member who helped with the event.

“We’ve invited the League of Women Voters to help us register students and we’ve had some live music today. We’ve got a couple from Nashville that are doing just a great job performing today,” said Erich Heppner, Director of Student Life at CLC.

Students were able to register, listen to live music, and also mingle with candidates running in local elections.

“Not many people actually know what the candidates in their area are, so today’s focus is mostly the Brainerd area and part of Minnesota,” explained Katelyn Waytashek, who is the president of the CLC Student Senate.

“Voting is your voice in the government, and it isn’t just federal elections. You may feel disenfranchised voting in federal elections, but your local elections are very important,” said Brainerd League of Women Voters President Rebecca Laplante.

A free lunch was offered as an incentive to register. Once students registered to vote or proved that they were registered in their hometown, they were able to go through the line and receive a free brat or hotdog. The CLC Student Senate put on the event because they see how important it is for college students to vote.

“I think they are kind of, I wouldn’t say forgotten population, but a population that just doesn’t get the same kind of press and the same kind of attention from candidates and political parties. So I think it’s really important to start establishing ourselves as a group that, you know, we have needs to,” added Heppner. “We have issues that are important to us.”

Rock The Vote was a huge success and saw a much higher turnout than they were expecting.

“It’s more important to get college students out to vote because they are the future generation and it would make a better tomorrow for everyone who’s voting and everyone’s voice is important and every vote is important too,” said Cromwell.

The CLC Student Senate will be holding another event coming up called “Pizza to the Polls” where free pizza and free rides will be provided for students to the Crow Wing County Courthouse to cast their vote.