LAST YEAR WE WERE QUITE THE ITEM, AND SOON I WILL UPDATE THIS PAGE TO HAVE AN ARCHIVE OF EVERYTHING WRITTEN ABOUT US FROM LAST YEAR. BUT FOR NOW, I ONLY HAVE NEWS CLIPS FROM THIS YEAR...
paragraphs pertaining to YDS are in red...
THE BREEZE - Thursday, February 19th, 1998
Protest for Peace
by Brad Jenkins
Despite heavy rainfall, about 20 JMU students joined 200 [320 - the breeze was wrong]Harrisonburg residents last night at Downtown Court Square to peacefully protest U.S. military action against Iraq.
The students, mostly members of Amnesty International and the Young Democratic Socialists, met at Wilson Hall at 6:30 p.m. to attend the 7:00 p.m. event.
"We're here to protest the U.S.'s possible air strike in Iraq, as well as the [U.S.'s] embargo, that has killed a million people there," Young Democratic Socialist Co-Chair Michael Key said.
Key stressed the candlelight vigil and speakout wasn't pro-Saddam Hussein. "We do not agree with Saddam's tyranny," he said. "However, we stand in solidarity with the people in Iraq who are being affected by our embargo."
The protest began as Eastern Mennonite University... [the rest is about the current situation as of February 19th]
THE BREEZE Thursday, OCT. 23, 1997
Gilmore Narrowly Victorious in Mock Election; 267 Students warm up pre-season voting polls
by Keri Schwab
Republican Gubernatorial Candidate, Jim Gilmore, edged out Democrat Don Beyer by a mere 23 votes in Wednesday's mock election on the Commons, but many students did not take the time to vote.
Two hundred and sixty-seven students, or about two percent of the undergraduate student body, voted in the election sponsored by the Student Government Association, in cooperation with the College Democrats and the College Republicants.
But Ann-Marie Phillips, SGA Internal Affairs Chair, said she was pleased with the turn-out.
"I thought the turn-out was good for something that's not related to campus," she said.
"I think the Republicans did a good job of recruiting, and the Democrats did a good job with the the recruiting,and I felt that it went well," Phillips said.
Students were asked to vote for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and to vote on several campus issues.
Of the 266 students who answered the question, "Do you support the General Education Program," 67 percent did not support GenEd.
Seventy two percent of students were in favor of a parking deck on campus, and 75 percent of students were in favor of makin American History a GenEd requirement.
Senator Mike Featherstone voted for Don Beyer in the governor's race.
"I've met him, and he is an outstanding man, an inspirational person," he said.
Junior Melissa Chong, a College Democrats member, worked on the Don Beyer information table.
Chong encouraged students to vote and distributed flyers about Beyer's platform. She also watched as the majority of students walked by her.
"Not a lot of people are showing interest," Chong said. "It's really sad [that] a lot of people on campus don't vote. I want more people to see that it's important and get involved."
Sophomore Michael Key, co-chair of the Young Democratic Socialists, wanted to vote for the reform party candidate, Sue Debauche, but she wasn't on the ballot.
"[The Young Democratic Socialsits] feel that neither party really has differentiated themselves from each other," Key said.
Key said the two-party system does not give a clear choice to voters. Key said students don't vote because "nobody feels their vote will make a difference, and I would be lying if I said it would.
"Both candidates are often bought out and may do the same things when elected.
"Some students did not vote because they did not know the elections were taking place," Key said.
Junior Angela Termini said, "I did not know about it. I don't know about the candidates and what they stand for."
Termini said the mock election wasn't publicized enough, especially to those who live off campus. She said she will vote in the Nov. 4th election.
Sophomore Austin Adams, an SGA Senator, was pleased with the turnout, feeling that it was much better than last year's election not sponsored by SGA.
