What's a little rain?

Our visit to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia was met with a little inclement weather. Well, maybe not so little. More like a nor'easter. But what's a little rain to a feminist? Did you honestly think we were going to let a few rain drops stop us? Ha!



Norfolk has been a hotbed of activity for voter registration this year but, unfortunately, not everything has gone as smoothly as we would like. Students at Old Dominion University (and those at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, as well) have been given inaccurate information from area election officials about their rights to register on campus. Ranging from threats of revoked financial aid to losing your eligibility to be claimed as a dependent on your parents' tax returns, students have been repeatedly discouraged from registering to vote.

With falsehoods such as these we knew that we had to come and set the record straight: yes, you can register to vote where you go to school; no, you will not lose your financial aid or dependent IRS status or receive any other penalty for registering. It's scary to think that there are still people who wish to use scare tactics and inaccurate information to suppress voter participation.

Not to be denied are the students of Vaughan Frederick's "Introduction to Women's Studies" class. Energized, informed and just a tad upset with the election officials, Vaughan's students are making sure their peers know their rights and register to vote on campus. In fact, of the three classes that Professor Frederick teaches, all 120 are registered to vote! After watching our DVD, "What's at Stake in '08" one student exclaimed, "I'm ready to vote!" Now that's what we like to hear!

Our trip was also featured in the school newspaper, Mace and Crown, and highlighted our Get Out HER Vote campaign and the importance of registration, education and mobilization among young women and people of color. We encouraged students to take action on their campus by joining FMLA and promoting feminist activism on campus. With strong support from the Women's Center, Women Studies Department, and professors like Vaughan Frederick, students at ODU are realizing their power, taking ownership of their voice and exercising it to raise the social conscience of their campus!