Carrying the Legacy

By: Liz Brennan

On June 26^th, 1996, the nude body of a young woman was found in an empty lot in North Philadelphia. She had been beaten to beyond any recognition, but DNA later identified her as Aimee Willard, a 22-year-old woman from Brookhaven. She had been a star student-athlete at George Mason University in Virginia.

Her car was found on the US-1 ramp off I-476. The driver’s side door was wide open with the car running and the radio blaring. There was also a puddle of blood near the car. Though the killer remained unknown for some time, a man named Arthur Bomar was arrested on DNA evidence and eventually convicted of first-degree murder, rape, assault, kidnapping and abuse of a corpse.

Aimee had been driving home after a night on the Main Line with friends from high school. It’s theorized that Bomar followed Aimee as she left the tavern and hit her car with his own to get her to pull over. According to Pro-Death Penalty.Com, Bomar then abducted her and bludgeoned her with a tire iron before putting her in the trunk of his car and driving her to another location. He then raped and beat her before dumping her body in the vacant lot in North Philadelphia.

That isn’t even the worst part. Bomar was a convicted killer on parole for crimes committed in Nevada. Several years before, he was convicted of second-degree murder after shooting and killing a man in a dispute over a parking space. He was sentenced to five years to life in the Nevada prison system. Even after assaulting a woman in prison, he was paroled after serving little more than eleven years.

He moved to Pennsylvania, where he was arrested in 1991 for assault and harassment. Bomar was not returned to Nevada on parole violations despite a total of four Pennsylvania arrests between 1991 and 1996. According to former Senator Rick Santorum’s website, Gail Willard has said “If Nevada had enforced his life sentence, Aimee would be alive today.” If both Pennsylvania and Nevada had enforced their parole laws, Aimee might be alive, also.

It was this oversight that led Gail Willard to take legal action. She wrote to former Congressmen Curt Weldon and Rick Santorum about enforcing the sentences of convicted criminals and strengthening the penalties on parole violators. Santorum introduced Aimee’s Law to Congress in March 1999.

According to Santorum’s website, “This important legislation would use federal crime fighting funds to create an incentive for states to adopt stricter sentencing and truth-in-sentencing laws. Aimee’s Law will hold states financially accountable for the tragic consequences of an early release which results in a violent crime being perpetrated on the citizens of another state. Specifically, this law will redirect enough federal crime fighting dollars from a state that has released early a murderer, rapist, or child molester to pay the prosecutorial and incarceration costs incurred by a state which has had to reconvict this released felon for a similar heinous crime. More than 14,000 murders, rapes and sexual assaults on children are committed each year by felons who have been released after serving a sentence for one of those very same crimes. About one in eight of these crimes occurs in a second state” (Statistics are derived from four U.S. Justice Department, Bureau of Justice Statistics reports).

Aimee’s Law was first offered as an amendment to the Juvenile Justice Bill. It ws passed by the Senate. Matt Salmon, a representative from Arizona and one of the three main supporters of Aimee’s Law along with Santorum and Weldon, introduced the law as an amendment to the Juvenile Justice Bill, and it was passed in the House also. However, due to delays, it became necessary to move the legislation separately, and after a speech by Gail Willard and Congressman Santorum, Aimee’s Law was unanimously passed in the house and President Clinton formally enacted Aimee’s Law on October 28^th, 2000.

““We are sending a clear message with Aimee’s Law,” said Santorum, according to his website. “We want tougher sentences and we want truth in sentencing. A child molester who receives four years in prison, when you consider the recidivism rate, is an abomination. Murderers, rapists, and child molesters do not deserve early release; our citizens deserve to be protected. In this legislation we are protecting one state’s citizens from the complacency of another state, an appropriate role for the federal government.”

Bomar went to trial in 1998. He was convicted and sentenced to death on October 1^st, 1998. When he heard the conviction, he stood up and gave the middle finger to Aimee’s family, shouting “F*** you, Mrs. Willard, her brother and her sister.” His execution is currently stayed as he is still filing appeals.

It was impossible to attend the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur and not know the full story of Aimee Willard’s life and, especially, her death. She had gone to high school there from 1988 to 1992 and excelled in academics as well as being a star on the soccer and lacrosse fields and basketball court. She was the first inductee into the 1,000 point club for basketball and even held the record for most points scored in basketball until 2002 at 1, 331 points.

I began attending the Academy of Notre Dame in the fall of 1998. Switching from a co-ed public school where I could wear what I wanted to an all-girls private Catholic school with a uniform was enough of a switch. But it was during my sixth grade year that Bomar, the man who had allegedly abducted, raped and killed Aimee, was on trial. We regularly heard updates on the trial from our teachers, who each told us why we should be concerned with this particular murder trial.

During my years at Notre Dame, teachers and coaches constantly told me how much I reminded them of Aimee. I was a freckle-faced girl next door and a tornado of energy who played soccer and basketball. My studies were very important to me, and I always had my homework in on time. I laughed loudly and often and had no idea that evil could really exist. The only bad person I knew about was the Devil, and as far as I knew, he didn’t visit me often.

As I got older, I began to get to know one of the Sisters of Notre Dame who taught at my school. Her name was Sister Nancy Bonshock, and she taught AP United States History and AP Comparative Government. I knew that she was revered as an excellent educator. I knew that she was respected because she was courageously battling breast cancer. I knew that she had a beautiful singing voice since she often sat next to me in the alto section at choir practice. I didn’t find out until my sophomore year of high school that she was also Aimee’s aunt.

I will never forget one day during my senior year when I, in my usual style, dropped my folder while packing up my things after AP Comparative Government (lovingly dubbed AP CoGo by its students). My papers scattered everywhere, and I waved my friends off. It was the end of the day, and I didn’t want them to have to be late to their buses on my account. Before I knew it, I was the only one in the room with Sister Nancy. As I finally put everything together and pushed my folder back into my bag, I heard Sister Nancy say “You know, Liz, I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but you remind me so much of Aimee.”

I froze. I had heard that before. I had heard it so much that I started to think that my teachers and coaches sounded like broken records. But to hear it from Sister Nancy, who had known and loved Aimee not only as a student, not only as an athlete, but as a niece meant so much more. It was a compliment the likes of which I’m sure I’ll never receive again.

When I graduated from Notre Dame, I was the recipient of the Aimee Willard Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award. Afterward, my favorite gym teacher and mentor Miss Wetzel told me that the voting had been unanimous and that, in fact, no other students had even been considered. I suppose it was one of their last ways to tell me that I reminded them of Aimee.

It’s safe to say at as an 11-year-old, I had no idea of the magnitude of this murder and the trial. The only murder trial I could even possibly remember was the trial of O.J. Simpson, and that had been when I was in second grade at the ripe old age of eight. I knew that murder was bad. I knew that I didn’t want it to happen to me. But I didn’t grasp how close to home this was. I didn’t understand.

Now, ten years later, I’m still only beginning to understand. I know where the I-476 is. We call it the Blue Route, and I take it to get home from school, as well as to get a number of other places. I even take the US-1 exit for an almost straight shot to my house. Once I get off that ramp, I am literally three minutes from my front door. To realize that something so horrific happened to a girl just like me so close to home was shocking and terrifying.

Though I like to think that I see the world through rose-colored glasses, I know that my naïveté and idealism are not as unmarred as they used to be. When I’m alone on the road at night, I get nervous. If I notice that a car has been around me a long time, I keep an eye on it and try to stay near other cars. I pray every time I drive and send up a thank you whenever I get safely to my destination. I never used to be this way. My friends sometimes tell me that I’m paranoid, but I don’t think I am. I just want to stay alive. If that means taking a detour into a busy, lit-up shopping center as a precaution, so be it. If that means waiting until tomorrow to fill my car with gas so I don’t have to stop at a deserted gas station as night, that’s OK with me.

In Mrs. Willard’s testimony to Congress on May 11^th, 2000, she writes of what Aimee was like when she was alive. “Aimee was a wonder, a delight, a brilliant life in my life. With dancing blue eyes and a bright, beautiful smile, she drew everyone who knew her into the web of her life. She would light up a room just by walking into it...She had friends and talents and dreams for a spectacular future, so it seemed only natural and right to believe that she would live well into old age. Never one to complain when things didn't go her way, Aimee always worked and played to the best of her ability, happy with her successes, taking her failures in stride. Aimee lived and loved well. She never harmed anyone; in fact, Aimee rarely ever spoke ill of anyone. She was almost too good to be true.” “Her friends describe her as a quiet presence, a fun-loving kid, a good listener, a loyal friend. They use words like shy, modest, kind, strong, focused, intense, caring, sharing and loving when they speak about Aimee. They tell of Aimee's magic with people.” If that’s how people truly see me, then I have no reason to complain. Aimee does sound “too good to be true.” I know that I’m not perfect, but if I can possibly deserve even one of the compliments above, then I’ll know that I’ve lived well.

Aimee clearly had so much to live for. And so do I. I feel like I should carry on her legacy as well as I can.

Can I find my Soul?

by; Malissia A. Holmes

Words cannot express what dance has done for me. It has been my own time of the week and day - it is a time to let go and just be me for me. Its challenging and rewarding and I have felt so amazing in class and after class. It is my outlet for the bottled up creativity and energy that is inside me. It has been exercising without feeling like you are exercising. When I dance my mind is free from all the stress in my life. When I’m dancing, I don’t think about how I have homework to do or a disappointing argument with my boyfriend. I have looked forward to dancing when I was younger missing a class would make me feel miserable. I am so happy that dance has been a part of my life. I remember times when I was once a hard-core all out dancer. When I was younger I would attend auditions in New York that came up last minute and by chance if we heard there was an open casting call. I loved going to the city, taking the trains and also the dreaded subways. If I can remember anything about the trips to the city it would be that and begging my mother to go to Time Square to see all the different lighted billboards. Dance was life! I had dance posters and pictures everywhere in my house. Magazines that had any relation to dance were stacked high and I always had a new one to share with my friends. My friends and I would discuss and argue about the new tights our parents had bought us, our brand new leotards with the back out, etc. When you are little anything that you do in dance is cute and was great, but in my findings that doesn’t last for long. No matter how serious the class is you expect to have the approval of your family but as you get older the audience becomes very important in your career.

I have choreographed and taught dance for my previous dance schools and cheerleading teams. Whether it was 10 second interludes at football games to teachings a toddler dance class a relatively easy combination, I did it. Dance has been a part of my identity probably since before I was even walking. My mother always comes to me with stories about how when I was little I would sway side to side, clap my hands and try to jump up and down. She says that’s why she put me in dance lessons. At one point in time I was taking dance class and gymnastics, dance classes and karate, or dance class in piano lessons. Piano lessons didn’t last for long I wasn’t interested in making music but dancing to music. Movement was something that I was just about and no one could tell me differently. I believe that very often people forget that dance is a sport. Similar to other sports you need to warm up before you dance but the movement entails you to sweat, loose weight and also to stay healthy like sports do.

My mother is not one of those crazed dance mothers that would beat or antagonize their child about every time they made a mistake with a dance position or move. She was encouraging and supportive of all my decisions. When my mother saw that I was not happy she was persistent in finding another dance school for me to go to. At The Studio, I was beginning to feel as if I wasn’t growing much as a performer anymore. I had attended the dance school from 3 years old to 14 years old. Although it was territory and I rained as such I thought it was time to move on to other things. As boastful as it may sound, I had no one better than me to push me and make me strive for better. I was the crème of the crop at The Studio and it was time for me come down many levels and see reality. My dance instructor, Mrs. JoAnn, taught me how to be a leader by teaching me how to lead classes in each genre of jazz, ballet, and tap. She has given me tons of responsibility and I left under her instruction on very good terms. Mrs. Joan understood and was supportive about my decision and respected me for it.

A year or two before I had decided to leave The Studio, my little cousin Brianna, had left and was going to another dance studio that was very adamant about dance technical training. I went to a lesson one day and loved it! Mrs. Burrell was a “no joke” kind of instructor. She knew everyone’s ability and pushed them way over their limits. At the Asbury Park Technical Academy of Dance I began and worked diligently to fit in and for the students to accept me. I had definitely gotten what I asked for! At The Studio I was at the top, and Mrs. JoAnn was a white woman with a very pleasant teaching and dance style. The change was hard. I was now being taught by a thunderous black woman, with a more diverse atmosphere. At The Studio I was mostly teaching and in class with white students. I did not mind it at all, to be honest it was nice because there I was very good and many girls looked up to me. At the same time that I was changing dance schools I was also changing academic institutions. Grammar school I attended a private catholic school and I had transferred to a public school in my town, Neptune High School. At the Technical Academy of Dance, I was introduced to grueling dance lesson on Pointe (ballet on wooden shoed), African dance styles, and also a more intense outlook on ballet and jazz. Mrs. Burrell had asked me to be in her junior dance company. The girls and boys in the junior dance company wore purple leos and like I said earlier, leos in my dance life were very important. They distinguished which level you were in the dance academy. In the specific level you could have any kind of leo (back out, 2 straps, and single straps) they just had to be that specific color. Tights just added to the fun. Usually we had to wear pink tights but they could be of any brand of any style with the cut out toes, etc. The tights and the kind of leo was what made you, you and made you stand out from the rest of the girls and boys in the class. Even though the change from dance to schools and even academic institutions could sometimes be extremely mentally and physically hard, deep down inside I was very happy with the decisions that I had made. I definitely grew a lot with in myself and I had experienced so much more with in my dance career.

Then college came around and I received a $20,000 dance scholarship to attend Ursinus College. Within my town community there was an alumni of Ursinus College that had seen the dance company perform many times. He was interested in the students not only through dance but through academia. He wanted to give 2 promising students a $20,000 scholarship to attend Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. There were 3 of us that were graduating in 2006 and we each had planned to attend college. One of the girls did not apply for the scholarship because she had planned to attend Tuskegee University not even giving Ursinus College a glance. So then Danielle Harris and I decided that we would go visit the school and apply together. We both applied to the school and applied for the scholarship. We were both awarded $20,000 a year to attend UC in the name of Dance.

Ursinus College is a liberal arts college and dedicates itself to render diversity. Danielle and I with so much technical training were asked to totally disregard what we had learned and told to drill everyday. We were asked to learn an eerie kind of modern dance and contact improvisation. I was very open to modern dance taught by Ruthie, who herself was taught and was the muse of the great dance, Paul Taylor. I have been taught by Cathy Young who has choreographed modern pieces, jazz pieces, and ballet pieces that I have been a part of. But I was not open to contact improvisation. Forgetting all of my technique was and is impossible. I can not forget content that has been instilled in my mind. That is like asking someone to duck for cover when something is being thrown at them or yield to on coming traffic. It is just tough. Now don’t get me wrong I have learned many things from my dance instructors here but I thought that passion for dance would stick and it has not. And now I believe that I want to take different course in my career, not giving a thought to "use it or lose it." Taking this spring semester off from dancing has definitely put me in a bind. I definitely miss dance and the great feeling that it gives me. It is definitely hard watching other people perform because I feel like I should be on the stage. Even though my heart is still with dance, my soul has left it.

Sometimes I think when people think of dance they don’t think about how hard it really can be. If you want to continue with some kind of career in dance, you are usually training as if it is a part-time or full- time job. Dance has definitely put me in a different world from others but I don’t think that I have missed out on anything. So what I missed a couple of parties or sleepovers that might I have been the pillar to my popularity rate. I was able to obtain a hardworking lifestyle and many responsibilities that have helped me grow and become who I am today.

I definitely feel like 4 months of not dancing has had effect on me and if I was to begin again it would be very emotional for me so I will have to begin slowly. Now almost 21 years old, I begin to lose my tenacity for working out. Most people my age, working out is all that they want to do. I feel like now all I have is my ballet balance, ballet feet, and ballet hands. I am determined to still be graceful.

I RSVP’d to dance in a reunion performance at my old dance school, Asbury Park Technical Academy of Dance, Sunday June 8^th, 2008 where all Mrs. Michelle Burrell’s graduate dancer will perform at the yearly recital. To my understanding the month of May will be intense dance rehearsals. The enthusiasm that my old dance instructor has is like no other and I must be ready for anything that she will throw at me. So for my own good I need to be ready.

I have not written this to put down any part of my dance experiences. All the techniques and all of the instructors that I have had have all inspired my life. I love the emotions that I have developed because of dance I am very happy with making other feel there on emotions through my performances. For some dance releases our minds from the chaotic world in which we live in. I have decided to go back to dance not because I have to, but all of these things that come along with dance makes be proud to say I am a dancer, and gives me something to believe in when everything else seems to let me down. Someone once told me, “if you are there for the dance, the dance will be there for you, and I believe that with my whole heart.”- I truly believe.

9/11: Personal Impact

We are nearing the seven year anniversary of the September 11^th suicide attacks on the United States that truly impacted so many in our country. When al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial jet airplanes the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon were hit. After an attempt for the passengers to retake over the fourth plane, it crashed into Somerset County in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 died as a result of the attacks and just about 3,000 victims were injured as well. The aftermath of this tragic event lead to the United States declaring a War on Terrorism and invading Afghanistan. Everyone has heard so much about the facts and logistics of these events but I would like to focus on the more personal side. I would like to relate these events to everyday people and illustrate the effect they have had on citizens of our countries and their families.

At the time I found out about the attacks, I can remember sitting in a study hall class of my junior high school. I remember being completely clueless and not realizing what had really happened. As the student body began to talk and discuss, I began to understand the true impact of what had just happened. Staff and students in my school were in a state of panic about loved ones and concern for our country.

Before the attacks had occurred on September 11, my school had been participating in a student foreign exchange program. Before and during the attacks, my school had students abroad and there were foreign exchange students participating with my school. That day, the host students from my school as well as their exchange students were on a field trip in New York City. The students and staff in my school were franticly trying to get in contact with those in New York to find out where they were and if they were okay. It was unimaginable to think that we could lose some of our own students. It would be awful to have to explain to parents in another country that their children were involved in a major United States terrorism attack.

On the morning of September 11, four planes were heading for California from Logan International Airport, Dulles International, and Newark airports. American Airlines flight 11 and United Airlines flight 175 were flown into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center. American Airlines flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon and the fourth plane was United Airlines flight 93. The fourth plane was planned to be the ultimate target but fortunately did not make it to the United States Capitol Building.

Part of my schools plans for their trip consisted of traveling to the World Trade Center for a tour. My school was completely aware that the students, chaperons, and exchange students could be in real danger. Meanwhile, the students of my junior high were not allowed to see anything on television to view the live reports or know the status of our fellow students. We did find out later that those in the senior high across campus were allowed to view the live footage. Fortunately, we found out later that our group in New York City was on the ferry on their way over to the World Trade Center. They were able to view the tragic events and the second plane crashing from the ferry and I’m sure realizing that with any different timing, they could have been there. When we were finally informed of the placement of the group, the student body took it pretty hard that our students could have been injured during the events.

These events lead to nothing short of a tragic day for so many in the United States. Now being in college, I still discuss the catastrophe that happened that day. I learned that on September 11, 2001, my now roommate in college could have been hurt that day as well. She was traveling with Circus Smirkus and was about to get on a bus to the Pentagon. They had a scheduled tour that was immediately canceled and they were sent somewhere to wait it out. They were kept safe, but again the reality of fifteen minutes further in time raced through her head.

The thoughts of herself being in danger were put aside because her dad worked in New York City everyday. She worried about her Dad all day wondering if he was okay or if he was hurt. She found out later he was in the process of walking to work and was okay. September 11, 2001 was a tragic day for many as they agonized over loved ones and friends wondering if they were okay. Meanwhile for some, death or critical injuries were a reality.

After September 11, 2001, the memory of the attacks did not just simply disappear. Many were in a mourning process and the coverage of the attacks was the center of the news for a long time. I can remember it being on constantly in my house as we all tried to learn more about why it had happened and what our countries repercussions were going to be. We wondered what they would do about the buildings and if they would rebuild them.

The damage to the Pentagon was repaired within a year of the events. Unfortunately there has been a large controversy over what to do about the World Trade Center. Of course for some, the sight was an illustration of death and many didn’t want to see the old buildings be quickly replaced with new ones. There has been discussion about where to build the new buildings as well as what their design should be.

We can be nothing but thankful to all of those who contributed to the cleanup and recovery after the attacks. The numerous amounts of firefighters and police officers who helped recover bodies and clean up that massive amounts of debris are true heroes.

The real question was what our country was going to do to fight back against this attack of terrorism. The events had major political ramifications globally. Just about one month after the attacks had occurred, the United States lead international forced to remove Taliban from al-Qaeda. Pakistan helped out the United States by providing many military bases and airports for its attack.

The goal of the War on terrorism, sought out by President George W. Bush was an aim at bringing down Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Osama Bin Laden was thought to hold responsibility for the attacks. Our country wanted justice and wanted to further prevent any terrorist attacks that could occur in the future. The surveillance in our country had to increase and military sanctions against states occurred. Another crucial piece to the United States invasion was to take out the Taliban rule of Afghanistan, by a U.S. led coalition. Other countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia have had past conflicts with Islamist terrorism. They too increased their military readiness and awareness for the possibility of terrorist attacks.

Even after the actual events on September 11 occurred, families around the United States couldn’t stop worrying about their loved ones. The war in Iraq has a serious impact on people in our country. There war or Operation Iraqi Freedom is an ongoing conflict in the U.S. that began on March 20, 2003. Iraq was an imminent, urgent, and immediate threat to the United States after the September 11 attacks.

Many citizens of the United States felt it necessary to go and defend their country. Aside from the massive amount of those already involved in the military in some form, many took part to join in and put their efforts in for their country. I remember personally not knowing anyone who was in a military type situation and in a foreign country. I heard stories of other people’s families but I never had to truly worry about someone I was close with.

As I got older, this became a reality for me as I began to be in the face with more and more people who were joining in the military. It began with a friend I had throughout high school. We got very close my senior year and I had discussed with him his plans for after high school. He had told me numerous times that he wanted to join the Marines and defend his country. I guess I never really took it too seriously until after he graduated. I had just finished my freshman year of college as he was graduating and he was leaving for boot camp. His parents had a huge going away party for him with all of his friends and family. It then became a reality for me that I really had someone I would worry about and wonder what he was doing at any moment.

He cam home after his boot camp and training and my group of friends all got together once again. Unfortunately after this get together, his leaving was much harder. He was actually leaving for Iraq as my friends and I all had to say goodbye.

Too many people around the world have to worry about their friends and family everyday because they choose to be honorable and defend their country. One of my best friends has dealt with a situation just like this one as well. Her brother, like my friend, chose to join the Marines when he graduated high school. He has also said all along that it is something that he has wanted to do for some time and he is going to follow through with his plans. He left for Iraq about two weeks ago.

The most interesting story I have come across, in my own opinion, is the sister of a fellow teammate of mine. Ever since her sister was about thirteen years old, she has been talking about going into the military and being a marine. For a young teenage girl, this seems slightly outlandish but she was determined to follow through with her goals and dreams. She began at a young age by getting involved in a summer program called the Young Marines. It was like a boot camp style camp where she learned all about the marines. It was even lead by Marines themselves.

She was aware that college was not for her and she wanted to go and defend our country. She is currently a Marine and her job is giving schedules for each day to pilots in the military. She also informs them if they need to go through extra physical training if they are overweight. They cannot fly until they meet the weight and physical training requirements. She will be leaving for Iraq this July and will be responsible for this when she gets there. As far as she knows at this time, she will be staying on base for the United States in Iraq.

Though she will most likely be staying on base, her family must still deal with the hardship of a family member in a foreign, unstable nation. It’s interesting to hear the story of a woman who wants to stand up for what she believes in and put herself out there. It can’t be easy for any family to have to go to sleep at night knowing a member of their family isn’t with them and is in a situation like that.

The September 11, 2001 attacks have lead to nothing short of an everlasting impact on our country. From the time it occurred and created shock all over our country up until today with the war still going on, the feelings of people cannot be expressed. From hearing the stories of my friends and their life situations of family members being involved, it can’t be heartfelt enough. I truly feel for all of these people as I’m sure we all do. Dropping everything in their lives to go and join the military for our country is a life decision we can all be proud of and thankful for.

Don't Know Where To Vote? Read On...

With an abundance of programs like Rock the Vote encouraging the youth of America to get out this election year and make their voices heard, one would think that the young people of our country would be chomping at the bit for the chance to vote. Whether you’re chomping at the bit to express your opinions or just choosing the lesser of two evils on Tuesday, it’s important to know where you have to go to vote.

The Collegeville Borough Hall is the only place in Montgomery County that the residents can vote. Luckily, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump away from campus. However, locating a polling place for your residential address does NOT necessarily indicate that you are a registered voter. You may also contact your county voter registrations office to verify your voter registration status and obtain your polling place location. To check if you are registered you can log on to http://canivote.org/. You can vote from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on April 22, 2008 for Pennsylvania Presidential Primary. A proper form of photo identification, such as your driver’s license or Ursinus student ID card, is necessary to bring with you. The most important thing during the voting process is to make sure that you know who you are voting for and that they represent your take on how America should be run. Though there is the greatest buzz being made about the presidential primary, there are also primaries for state and local councils. You can also only vote if you are registered as a Democrat or a Republican.

UC has been very active during this grueling time. Ursinus College Democrats have sponsored speakers such as Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late president John F. Kennedy, to come and speak to students and also have taken it upon themselves, on numerous occasions, to make sure that we students get out and vote! Back in February, the UC Democrats came out to a Sankofa Umoja Nia (SUN) meeting and offered those who weren’t registered to vote the opportunity to register. Malissia Holmes, a resident of New Jersey, filled out the absentee ballot to be able to vote in Pennsylvania. There is no reason to be hesitant. The application took no more than 5 minutes to fill out. For mostly all of UC students, this will be our first time voting, so the decision that we make is a great one. Fortunately we don’t have to go far in order to make our voices hear.

If you’re going by car, you want to start out going SOUTHEAST on E MAIN ST toward 5TH AVE. The Collegeville Borough Hall is at 491 E Main St Collegeville, PA 19426, just across from Marzella’s. The Hall is handicap accessible, just in case.

And for those students without vehicles and not lucky enough to live in Keigwin or Commonwealth, the building is just a walk across the campus and there is the opportunity to vote. Take advantage of this chance!

Caroline Kennedy Comes to Ursinus

On Friday, April 11^th, Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late president John F. Kennedy, spoke to a nearly full Bomberger Auditorium at Ursinus College. Kennedy was there to speak in support of the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. This event was organized by the Ursinus College Democrats and the Ursinus for Obama campaign.

Andrew Lane, head of the Ursinus for Obama campaign, introduced the first speaker, Representative Rosa DeLauro. DeLauro took the stage to thunderous applause. She spoke quickly and energetically, and drove home the point that youth vote is important to the Democratic primary. DeLauro expressed her opinion that “what our country needs is bold new policies, and the only way to get there is with bold new politics that are infused with the popular energy that is in this room!”

DeLauro spoke about issues that Obama has promised to take care of, such as “vanquish[ing] the special interests that are so dominant in Washington, D.C.” She supports Obama because she believes that he can renew the idealism that made America special and restore America’s morality. He also wants to make higher education and healthcare more accessible and affordable. DeLauro also expressed her support for Obama’s desire to protect and create jobs as well as ending the war in Iraq.

Representative DeLauro introduced Caroline Kennedy, who took the stage to a standing ovation. After the applause died down, she began to speak confidently about her decision to announce her support for Barack Obama for President of the United States. After hearing her children talk about him, she researched Obama and publicly announced her support for him in the New York Times on January 27^th, 2008. Kennedy also emphasized the importance of getting involved in this election. She revealed that when her father was elected President, if one person in every precinct had voted for someone else, he would have lost. “One vote has power.”

She added that she still hears that people were so inspired by her father. “I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans." She referred to a poll that had people vote for which former president they would like to see in office again. The top two were John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. “They were able to articulate vision and inspire people to come together and believe in America.”

Kennedy said that Obama in the White House was not just desirable but necessary. “We need Barack Obama as our president. We need a president who will fight to give every child a first-class education, who will restore our commitment to civil rights, who will end the war in Iraq. Barack Obama is the person to do all those things.”

More than anything, Kennedy’s last words sum up the thrust of her speech. “It’s up to you.”

Stand Up, You're Rocking the Vote!

Young people in America are notorious for being apathetic about politics. There are numerous reasons as to why this may be. They may lack the will to register to vote or they don’t know which party to affiliate themselves with. They may simply not care and don’t want to take the time to research the candidates. They may feel as though their vote won’t make a difference or they don’t like any of the candidates. In college in particular, it’s easy to get caught up in campus life and be completely unaware of everything that is going on with political campaigns. This article explores the various views of voting that Ursinus College students embody.

Sophomore English major Gianna Paone is not registered to vote. She has a lot of strong viewpoints about what needs to change in the American government. However, she doesn’t want to affiliate herself with a party, and, under PA law, only those registered under a party may vote in the primaries. Paone worries that she may find herself affiliated with a candidate whose views she may not fully support. She doesn’t want to vote and then regret her decision. However, she does plan to register to vote over the summer in time for the fall election. She thinks that her vote will make a difference because if everyone in the world thought their vote didn’t count, the results would be different. “At least, that’s what my teachers are telling me,” she adds. She doesn’t know who she’s going to vote for as of yet. Paone feels that the war in Iraq needs to end ASAP and that both abortion and the death penalty should be done away with. She wants stricter laws on gun control, “which none of the politicians seem to be prioritizing” and a way to resolve the national debt “by means other than massively taxing Americans.”

Senior Business & Economics major Eric Rembert is also not registered to vote. He says that he doesn’t really care about voting. However, he adds that if he were home in New Jersey he would have voted. He had a chance to watch the debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and that sparked an interest in the Democratic Party. However, he’s unsure about who he would vote for in the primary. He’s passionate about creating enough jobs for everyone. “I do feel my vote will make a difference, and I promise to vote in New Jersey in November.”

Senior Psychology major Brittany Fernandez is registered to vote in Florida, and she sent in her absentee ballot to make her voice heard. She said that she voted for Obama because “he’s the candidate that can bring the country together…we’re the United States; we can’t be divided.”

For most college students, this is their first chance to vote in a presidential election. They may not be taking the primary election seriously, but they do realize the importance of the election. It is all it’s cracked up to be.

Candidates at a Glance

By now, it’s clear who the front-runners in this presidential election are. The Republican presidential candidate will most likely be John McCain and, though the nomination is hotly contested, the Democratic Presidential candidate will either be Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Rodham Clinton served as the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001 and was elected as the junior Senator for New York State in 2000. She was reelected in 2006. As First Lady, she advocated the Clinton health care plan, which failed to gain approval by the U.S. Congress in 1994. In 1997 and 1999, Clinton supported the establishment of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. As a senator, she initially supported the Bush administration on some foreign policy, voting in favor of the Iraq War Resolution. She has since opposed the handling of the Iraq War and has disagreed with the Bush Administration on most domestic issues.

Barack Obama is the junior United States senator from Illinois. He is representing the Democratic Party nomination. He has worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and a civil rights lawyer. He then served in the Illinois senate from 1997 to 2004. He announced his campaign for the United States Senate in 2003, and one year later at the Democratic National Convention, he delivered the keynote speech. He was elected into the Senate in 2004. Obama was a member of the Democratic minority in the 109^th Congress and cosponsored legislation to control weapons, and to control public accountability for federal funds. Currently, a member of the 110^th congress, he has aided legislation for climate change, nuclear terrorism, electoral fraud and more. In this election, some of his campaign points are ending the Iraq War, increasing energy dependence, and providing universal health care.

Senator John McCain is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. He also serves on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. He attended and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. Upon graduation he spent a career as naval aviator where he has received naval honors such as Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1982 he was elected to the U.S House of Representatives and is currently the Senior Senator of Arizona.

Senator McCain ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2000 election. During his current campaign, he has focused on pro-life and issues concerning free trade. He is in favor of private Social Security accounts and welfare reform and opposes an expanded government role in health care.

All three candidates have strong opinions on issues important to Americans today. Whether you’re conservative, liberal, moderate or what have you, it’s important to hear the voices of these politicians and vote for the candidate you feel will be the best leader for this country.