Students have a hard time making it out to campus-related elections and oftentimes do not know about upcoming voting for issues involving the Baton Rouge area.
But John Smith, co-chairman of Pennies Add up to Student Success — a program pushing the renewal of a one-cent sales tax for the East Baton Rouge public school system — hopes students will take notice of other matters outside the University.
To heighten student awareness of the tax renewal vote, P.A.S.S. has posted informational fliers around campus. The fliers list the objectives of the program and what the money goes toward.
“The school system wants to maintain this tax because it will help upgrade facilities and go toward compensation programs for teachers,” Smith said.
According to Smith, the proposition three gives teachers and employees supplemental pay from revenues collected with the tax. He said voting for important community issues will give them more options for the future.
“Students need to participate in the voting process,” Smith said. “We’ve started a saying, ‘I count because I vote.’ If you don’t vote, you don’t count, and we’ve been afraid to tell people that because it might hurt their feelings, but it’s the truth.”
He said although many students may not think the public school system pertains to them, they should learn about the tax and vote anyway.
“Many people who graduate LSU will be residents in Baton Rouge,” Smith said. “When they get married and start a family, they will be asking about the school systems.”
Rhett Morris, a history senior, said many University students are from Baton Rouge, and they should know about the big issues.
“[Students] will most likely live in Baton Rouge one day, and they should care about the dismal state of the Baton Rouge school system,” Morris said. “I think most college students are pro-education, and those who do vote will vote in favor of the tax.”
He said students would vote about topics such as this if they knew more about them.
Morris started Youth Elect — a nonprofit, student-run organization promoting political participation of America’s youth — in his own attempt to educate students and young people about politics and voting.
“We wanted to get more young people involved in politics because no one represents young people like young people,” he said.
Smith said students can talk about Baton Rouge and things they would like to see happening, but unless they get involved, they will remain unheard.
“Who cares what you say at the cafeteria table,” Smith said. “It’s all about becoming a habitual voter and having a voice to make your own decisions.”