Vote today!

Stop surfing and go vote. Now!

Vote wisely. Vote Well. Vote now.

The right to vote is one of the most precious rights we have in this country. "We the people" get to choose who will lead us and who will represent us in Congress, in our states and in our local municipalities. We at S&P urge all SigEps to due their civic duty and vote in the elections next week. Many states have an early voting program and you can avoid the rush and crush of election day by taking advantage of the early voting options. Plus, you can get a head start on celebrating your candidate's win (or mourning the loss).

The presidential election this year is one of the most hotly contested that I have seen - and I have been a political junky since the days of Barry Goldwater and Lyndon Johnson. No matter which candidate you favor, chances are you see a win by the other side as a step down the road to ruin. The only way to have any affect on the race is to go and vote your beliefs. With so many people expected to turn out this year - the early voting in Texas is double 2004 - you may think that your vote will not make a difference. I would remind you of Florida in 2000. Less than a 1000 vote margin ultimately decided the course of the country for the next 8 years. Whether you think that course was the correct one or not, imagine how those Florida voters who did not bother to vote feel about their choice. Once when I was in college and working on the Mayor's race my candidate lost by 29 votes. Don't tell me "it doesn't matter"!

SigEp proudly claims to be "building balanced leaders for the worlds communities." One of the obligations of a leader is to participate in the change he would make. What better way to practice that on a personal level than to help chose the path our country will take?

Go. Vote. Now. You will feel good about yourself. You also get the right to bitch about those jerks in Washington when they screw everything up - again!

Vote Early - Vote Often

No, not in THAT election (though it is important too).

Adam Gartner is a SigEp at IL Nu (Eastern Illinois Univ.) and is in the running for a scholarship. He is among 10 national finalists and the outcome is determined by an online vote. Read the article for particulars and help a brother out.

(Thanks to Chuck Eberly for the information)

Some election thing is happening in two weeks or something, but the real election we should all get behind is for the men's soccer Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.

The award is given to a men's soccer player who exhibits success in the classroom, on the pitch and in the community. Also, the player must exhibit good character.

The award is available to all senior soccer players in the country, but it has been trimmed down to 10 finalists, one of whom is Eastern senior defender Adam Gartner.

Gartner, a finance major with 3.64 GPA, is a constant fixture in the community helping coach youth teams and spending some of his spare time at area schools reading to children.

Gartner is also excelling in the classroom. He has been named 2007 National Soccer Coaches Association of America SCAA Second Team Scholar All-American, 2007 NSCAA First Team All-Region Scholar, two-time ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District and two-time First Team Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete.

On the field, Gartner is one of the Panthers most versatile players as he can play anywhere from the middle of the field to any of the defensive positions.

In 2007, he finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference with nine assists and remains one of the top players for the Panthers this season.

So far this season, he has two goals and two assists. Gartner is up against players from some of this nation's top universities including Harvard, Brown, Notre Dame and the United States Military Academy.

Do you want those Ivy League pretty boys thinking they are better than us? I didn't think so.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, Gartner sits in fifth place with 8 percent of the vote. I challenge you Panther fans to get Gartner to the top. Each computer can account for one vote per day with voting ending Nov. 19.

So I encourage you to get on your computer, get on your neighbor's computer or, golly, find one in the library and type in http://soccer.seniorclassaward.com.

Find Gartner's name, put a check mark next to it and remember to vote early, vote often.

Column: Vote for Gartner - Sports

Don't Vote - ???

What do you say to this video?

The most important election in recent memory takes place in about a month. Are you going to vote? Are you registered? Why the hell not?

Go ahead. Don't vote. That means I get to decide - is that what you want?

Vote early! Vote Often!

Update: Steve will be doing his act in Atlanta while Conclave is on He has arranged for special SigEp pricing for the 8:00 pm Friday show (use code SIGEP1901 when you order tickets) and $5 per ticket will go to the Education Foundation. Get more info and order tickets.

We got this plea for help from Steve Hofstetter, the resident SigEp Comic, and are passing it along with a hearty recommendation. I got a chance to see his act in Houston afew months ago and really enjoyed it. Now he is in the finals of a "Last Comic Standing" type competition and needs a little help to take over first place (currently he is #2) and win the whole deal.

Fellow SigEps, I could use a bit of support if you've got two minutes.

For the last three months, I've been fighting my way through Famecast, a contest with 150 comedians where the winner ends up with a bunch of shows and $10K. (I can hear my student loans salivating already). Anyway, I'm now one of the final five, which is an honor in and of itself. But whoever wins this round wins the whole darn thing.

It takes less than two minutes to vote, and it would mean a ton if you did. And of course, if you have any reach - be it through media or the web or just a bunch of friends, I could really use any help possible to spread the word.

To vote, go to http://www.picksteve.com and just follow the instructions from there.

(Oh, and if you have a hotmail address, you may have trouble because their SPAM filter is too sensitive. But give it a shot anyway).

Thank you so much for your time, and see you in Atlanta!

Fraternally,
-Steve Hofstetter
New York Phi '02

You can go to the voting site and watch the live performance he did in Austin TX for the Finals. The competition ends in just a few days so hurry up and help him out before it is too late!

Remember - Vote early! Vote Often!

The Greek factor and elections

Does being a Greek help win SGA Elections?

“There are a lot of candidates that come out of the Greek system,” said Ryan Cronrath, incumbent student health and safety services representatives. “The Greeks seem to be involved in everything. They are just the type of people that are driven to do stuff.”

Cronrath is not a member of a Greek organization on campus.
[...]
[Legan] Morgan has been a member of the Sigma Nu chapter for the past four years. This year marks his third time running for president. Being a part of a house, he knows that not everyone in his group votes for him.

“Of course I hope they vote for me,” said Morgan with a laugh, “but if they don’t feel that I am the best candidate, then I hope they vote for who they think will do the best job.”
[...]
Drew Peneton, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon always encourages his house to vote.

“I just tell them to vote. Who they vote for is their choice,” said Peneton. “I believe about half of the house did in the primaries. It is really just up to them.”

Peneton believes that voting of any kind is important for everyone to participate in. “I believe that it is important to get involved in your community, whether at the national, state, city or even school level,” said Peneton.

This year fewer candidates are campaigning in the blocks of the Greek houses, as last year saw a higher percentage within that area.

“I really haven’t seen any campaigning. I actually thought that I would see more,” said Peneton. “I have been seeing much more in the center areas of campus.”

Sounds like a definite "Maybe".

The Easterner Online - The Greek factor

Technorati tags: SGA, Elections, Eastern

UCSU Elections over - we win!

Not only was it the largest Voter turn out in the school's history, A Sig Ep Won!

All three of the Class Act candidates running for UCSU Representatives at Large, a position within the legislative branch of UCSU, won, as did Megan Canon, who ran with The Fantastic Four as part of the Marvel ticket.
[...]
A few hours before the polls closed, future Tri-Executives Aitchison and Johnson sank into the leather chairs of the Sigma Phi Epsilon sitting room. Johnson said that he was about to send more e-mails and make more phone calls asking people to vote. Aitchison, in addition to campaigning, had to do a paper for a class. He admitted that it had been a hectic day.

Thirty minutes after he found out he had won, Aitchison said that he was still overwhelmed with excitement.

Congratulations guys.

The Campus Press

Technorati tags: U Colorado, elections, SigEp

Frats vote to ban parties

Things are getting serious at Colorado.

University of Colorado fraternities voted Monday night to prohibit parties at their houses, after reports that nine co-eds needed medical attention after heavy drinking at two of their parties.At least seven of the young women, ages 18 and 19, were hospitalized early Saturday. At least one had a blood-alcohol level of 0.3 percent, said Ryan Lynch, internal vice president of the Interfraternity Council, who said he reviewed police reports.
[...]
By Monday, rumors circulated that the women were slipped the date rape drug. Police denied those allegations but said it would be part of their investigation because one young woman reported having only one drink before becoming highly intoxicated. None of the women reported being sexually assaulted, Brooks said.

Members of the affected fraternities and sororities declined to comment Tuesday, referring all questions to the national offices and IFC.

Lynch, the IFC vice president, said his organization is frustrated with the weekend events. Just four days before the parties, members of the CU Greek system crowded Mackey Auditorium to listen to a talk about hazing and responsible alcohol consumption.

"We thought we made significant strides forward, and we have," Lynch said. "And then this."

Frats vote to ban parties - News - MSNBC.com

Klopack elected SGA president - Drake University

Klopack elected president

Bryan Klopack, of Country Club Hills, has been elected the student body president of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Klopack was named president upon receiving the majority vote in the student elections. Klopack is the son of Sue and Don Klopack. He is a junior majoring in marketing and management with a minor in advertising.

He has also been involved with a number of campus organizations, including Student Senate, Board of Trustees, Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and several academic clubs.

Community news

Hidden Gem in the Rough

We were trolling the HQ web site in our often-futile search for worthwhile content and came across this page. There is a neat "Get out the Vote" article and links to several (multipartisan) outside sites for information about registration and voting.

It is a good page with worthwhile information - from the last election. Our only beef is that nobody knew about it when it was timely.

The web wookies at HQ could easily update the site to make it current (state and local elections happen all the time) and link to it from the home page. Come on folks, you can be so much better.

SigEp Development

Vote - It's Your Civic Obligation

Be sure and VOTE on November 2nd.

If your state has early voting - take advantage of it and avoid the long lines on election day. Need a reason? Here it is. Newsweek says the race is tied among young voters.

Update - A link to DemocracyNet, an interactive platform designed to improve the quality of voter information. Its a good way to research your statewide and congressional candidates.

UPDATE Oct. 31- Don't know where to go to vote on Tuesday?
Check out My Polling Site: "We offer a free nonpartison web based service to help voters find their polling site in four clicks or less."

The "Voting Questions" site will tell you the voting hours for each state and registration information (some states allow registration at the polling place).

(This message will stay 'pegged' to the top of the stack until Nov. 2)

Election News - Sig Eps Get Out the Vote

Ed. note: Although this article focuses on one party's get out the vote effort, the concept of civic participation and being a good citizen trancends party lines.

STEVEN BRIDGES / SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL
More than 100 GOP supporters receive instructions from Jack Thompson before canvassing Knox County voters Saturday at the Bi-Lo store in Bearden.

A group of Sig Ep Brothers in Knoxville Tennessee went door-to-door this past weekend to encourage voters to turn out on Tuesday.

Andy Sigmon may come from a nonpartisan family, but the 19-year-old has cast his lot with Republicans.

So on Saturday Sigmon and his group of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers knocked on doors in South Knoxville and later in Sequoyah Hills in an attempt to solicit votes for Republican candidates.

KnoxNews: Election

Vote Like Your Life Depends on it!

The presidential election this year is one of the most polarized and divisive in recent memory. Many of you may feel that because the name-calling and mud slinging is so nasty that you would rather not vote at all. Let me assure you nothing could be further from the truth. The most direct way to exercise your rights, privileges, and obligations as a citizen of the United States is to vote for the people who represent you. Let me repeat that. The most direct way to exercise your rights, privileges, and obligations as a citizen of the United States is to vote for the people who represent you.

Which candidate for President you vote for may or may not seem to be important, depending on your state. In Texas, Bush will win no matter what the democrats do, ditto for Kerry and California and republicans. Florida and Michigan, on the other hand, could go either way. Nonetheless, the act of voting is crucial to keeping our country strong. If you don't vote for 'your' candidate, the other side wins by virtue of intimidation. More to the point, if you don't vote at all then the interests that don't want you to have a choice win.

In order to vote you must be registered. Time is running short. States close their voting registration 'books' from two weeks up to a month before elections are held. Get your butt in gear and get registered, even if you have not decided whom you will vote for (or against!). If you are not registered you can't even play and there is just no excuse for drooping the ball like that.

OK, OK - you've heard it before - "Rock the Vote"; "Vote or Die"; “Just Vote”; and all the other get out the vote stuff. It’s still important. It's THAT important. Keep reading...

Here is the part you may have missed. And I hate to say it but it is more ignored yet even more important than the presidential races.

There are more races than President to decide this fall. Every member of the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate is also up for grabs. Not to mention governors, state offices and legislators, judges, and all the local mayors, council members, school boards, and yes, even dogcatchers.

These "down ticket" races will affect you more directly and immediately than the President will ever hope to. State College funding is set at the state capitol, not D.C. City street repair and garbage pickup is run from City Hall. Traffic tickets and family courts are presided over by elected judges in many states. You need to get to know something about how the candidates for these offices will approach their office. These people are asking you for a job. If you don’t help to select them someone else will. And you cannot be sure they have your best interest at heart.

Where to do that? Look up your local League of Women Voters for a start. They ask candidates for statements and biographies and publish them with no bias. If you do have a party preference look for the local precinct or club meetings. They ask candidates to come and talk (only the one flavor, of course) and you can get to know who they are. The local newspapers should also be doing profiles independent of their editorial endorsements. You may have community access TV with candidate forums and your college democrat or republican group may invite candidates to speak. Go to the web sites. Most of them still look like a hand out that is scanned in but they are getting better. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and expect real answers.

This is the 'spade work' of democracy. Just like a garden, you have to get your hands dirty if you want the best outcome. Yes, there is a lot of B.S. to use as fertilizer, but the closer you get, the easier it is to tell it for what it is.

To sum up:

• Get registered to vote
• Find out who is running for office and what they stand for.
• Vote all the way down the ticket

VOTE, DAMMIT! Vote Like Your Life Depends on it!

From an undisclosed location... I am Diogenes and I approved this message.