This content was published: April 14, 2000. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Students Spreading the Election Word to Peers, Community
Photos and story by James Hill
The deadline to register to vote for the Tuesday, May 16 primary election is Tuesday, April 25 and Portland Community College students are spreading the word to make it easier for everyone to vote. From registration drives to community canvassing to phone banking, approximately 70 students district-wide have made a difference in their communities for the May 16 primary election.
The Associated Students of PCC (student government organization) and the PCC branch of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honors society for two-year colleges, have set the goal of registering 2,000 people in the PCC district by the April 25 deadline and get them to vote. So far, 600 have been registered at the Sylvania Campus (located at 12000 S.W. 49th Avenue), 500 at the Rock Creek Campus (located at 17705 N.W. Springville Road) and 500 more at the Cascade Campus (located at 705 N. Killingsworth) for a total of 1,600.
The student effort doesn’t stop there as the students have organized drop-off booths through the Multnomah County Elections Office at two PCC campuses to make it easier for their peers to turn in their stamp-free ballots. At the Sylvania Campus, a drop-off booth will be established from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, May 15 and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16 in the CC Building’s mall. At the Cascade Campus, there will be a booth open during those same times and dates at the Interior Street of the Student Center. At the Rock Creek Campus, student registration drive organizers are advising students and residents to drop off their ballots at the Tanasbourne Mall branch of the Hillsboro Public Library (located at 2453 N.W. 185th Avenue) beginning Monday, May 1 through to 8 p.m. on May 16. Library hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. The drop off ballot boxes at the two campuses and Tanasbourne can include ballots from any county.
The ASPCC, PCC Faculty Federation and Phi Theta Kappa will make one more push to get people to vote from April 29-30 in Washington County and from May 6-7 in Multnomah County by distributing pamphlets in neighborhoods. There will be a phone bank set up on May 1-4 and 8-11.
"It’s been exciting being a part of PCC’s campaign to ‘get out the vote’," said Cheryl Good, treasurer of Phi Theta Kappa. "We are looking forward to working with the teachers and staff when we do the precinct walking and phone banking in May. The educational and volunteer opportunities offered to our group have been an added bonus in our college experience."
For further information on PCC student involvement, contact student leadership coordinators at each of the three campuses: Cami Bishop (Sylvania Campus) at 503-977-4920, Kendi Esary (Cascade Campus) at 503-978-5781 and Mandy Ellertson (Rock Creek Campus) at 503-614-7261.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »