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Democrats will debate in Philadelphia again
By Emily Shultheis
Daily Pennsylvania (U. Penn)

(U-WIRE) PHILADEPHIA —The candidates are back for another round -- on April 16, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will face off in Philadelphia during the 21st Democratic debate.

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The debate -- hosted by ABC -- will be held at the National Constitution Center in downtown Philadelphia. It will be one of the candidates' last chances to impress voters before Pennsylvania's April 22 primary.

The event will be the second Democratic debate held in Philadelphia this election season. The first was held at Drexel University on Oct. 30.

While the University of Pennsylvania was considered for the October debate but ultimately was not chosen due to logistical concerns, University spokeswoman Lori Doyle said Penn "was never in competition" for next month's debate.

According to Joseph Torsella, the CEO of the NCC, a debate at the institution has been in the works for several months. After an unsuccessful attempt to host a "national town hall"-style debate prior to Super Tuesday, the NCC continued to look into holding a debate.

"That sort of morphed from Super Tuesday to this," Torsella said.

He added that the debate is still in its early planning stages but more details would be released in the next few days.

"Obviously we're tremendously excited," Torsella said. "Every one of these debates has been a useful part of the dialogue, and there's clearly something special about a debate at the Constitution Center, with its view of Independence Hall."

Both campaigns said they would use the debate to reach out to Pennsylvania voters.

A Clinton press release from last week stated, "Hillary is prepared to show she has real solutions for the problems facing residents of the Keystone State."

Clinton currently has a double-digit lead in the Pennsylvania polls.

Obama spokesman Matt Lehrich addressed Clinton's lead when commenting on the debate.

"We recognize that Sen. Obama is the underdog here in Pennsylvania, but we look forward to that challenge," he said, adding that the debate would help Pennsylvanians learn about Obama's message.

On campus, there is excitement about the upcoming debate.

"I'm taking a politics and media class and I'm a Hillary supporter, so I'm definitely going to try and check it out," College junior Andreas Caicedo said.

Penn Democrats spokeswoman Amelia Bailey said that although she is unsure of exact plans, the organization "will definitely be involved in pre-debate activities."

"We thought there was a chance that a debate might not come back to Philly for a second time, so we're happy to have them here," Bailey said.

©independentvoice.org

Philadelphia becomes focal point of presidential race
By Colin Kavanaugh
Daily Pennsylvania (U. Penn)

(U-WIRE) PHILADELPHIA — The political circus is finally here.

For the next four weeks, Pennsylvanians will find out what it's like to be at the center of the political universe as candidates prepare for the state's April 22 primary.

During the week before spring break, Chelsea Clinton campaigned at the University of Pennsylvania's campus at Wynn Commons for her mother, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who toured the state last week, making a stop at Temple University.

Also over break, Michelle Obama, wife of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, campaigned at Villanova University. Tuesday, Barack Obama will give a "major speech on race" at the National Constitution Center downtown, according to a press release. Hillary Clinton will also speak downtown Tuesday at City Hall.

According to recent polls, Clinton holds a double-digit lead over Obama in the state. But with four weeks of uninterrupted campaigning, both candidates will have the opportunity to change the dynamic of the race.

"[The candidates] will try to be everywhere because they have the time to be everywhere with enough money to be everywhere," said Randall Miller, a St. Joseph's University history professor and political analyst.

According to Miller, the Pennsylvania campaign will be focused around Philadelphia's "voter-rich" population, but candidates will not shy away from visiting other parts of the state.

Several Clinton events in Pennsylvania last week were focused on the Scranton area in the northeast, where she spent time as a child. The area also houses a strong white, working-class community that has been favorable to her in other states.

Miller said the Philadelphia region will be Obama's primary focus due to the large black and student community in the city and a strong young-professional and college-educated population in the suburbs.

And while these group allegiances appear to change little from state to state, it "doesn't mean they won't be going after the other's voters," Miller said.In addition to official campaign events, Penn political groups are trying to register voters as quickly as possible before the March 24 deadline.

The Penn Democrats endorsed Obama just before spring break began. Now, the group plans to focus on voter registration and conversion, as Independents are not allowed to vote in the state's Republican and Democratic primaries.

After March 24, however, the Penn Dems will turn to "voter education" and help promote Obama in the area, said College sophomore Mukul Sharma, the group's vice president.

Sharma also said the group plans on campaigning in Bucks County, though a final decision has not yet been made.

Penn for Hillary spokeswoman Julie Siegel, a College junior, said they will be registering voters, and will go "door-to-door" for Clinton over the next month.

Despite the Penn Dems' Obama endorsement, Siegel said Penn for Hillary will "make sure students know we're on campus, and that there's a large group [at Penn] who want to vote for Hillary."

Arizona Sen. John McCain has already garnered enough delegates to be the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, though he did campaign in Philadelphia last Thursday. He will officially become the nominee at the party convention in late summer.

Nation's youth get involved in Pennsylvania primaries
By Claire Morgenstern
The Tartan (Carnegie Mellon U.)

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(U-WIRE) PITTSBURGH — This year's elections have seen an unprecedented level of excitement among the nation's youth. This election atmosphere has prompted a number of national efforts to inform, encourage and indulge today's youth with election information.

Several different grassroots efforts have emerged designed specifically to engage and inform young voters.

Declare Yourself ((www.declareyourself.com)) is a non-partisan organization designed to encourage 18- to 24-year-olds to register to vote. The website provides up-to-the minute election coverage, including both national news and state-by-state information about primaries and other area events.

In addition, students can use the site to register to vote online in any of the 50 states. Based in Los Angeles, the organization has major celebrity sponsorship, and young celebrity voters such as Hayden Panettierre, America Ferrera, Wilmer Valderrama, and Christopher Charles Mintz-Plasse (better known as McLovin of "Superbad") star in short videos and make frequent media appearances on behalf of the organization.

The group will be hosting a concert to increase political consciousness in Pittsburgh this July. Rock the Vote ((www.rockthevote.com)) places similar emphasis on getting young people to vote on Election Day. The website includes links to register as well as information about how to become a campaign volunteer in different areas of the country. The group was founded in 1990 and is based in Washington, D.C.

Project Vote Smart ((www.votesmart.org)) encourages citizens, both young and old, to take an active role in reforming democracy in the United States. The project often takes stances on issues that are in opposition to the views and actions of the current administration.

"I think it is important for young people to get involved. We as young people have a chance to control how our futures will be by electing the next president," stated William Hum, a Carnegie Mellon University Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering, in an e-mail.

Hum is a Clinton supporter, and acknowledged that he will be voting in the Pennsylvania primary. He added that young voters are more excited this year than ever before, particularly for the Obama and Clinton competition.

Maria Mauro, a sophomore biology and political science major and co-founder of Students for Barack Obama, and Zenobia Bell, a junior political science major and president of College Democrats, agreed.

"Youth is running this campaign. We want people to take ownership of this campaign and take a vested interest in politics. We are going to control how the next generation sees our country," Mauro said.

"People always say politicians don't care about young people, but young people may not care about politicians," Bell said. "There are historical things happening in terms of the role of youth, and we need to make sure we get our voices heard."

Bell acknowledged that the youth vote and all voters particularly in Pennsylvania will play an important role in this year's election, as the winners of the Pennsylvania primary are often indicative of the final national results.

But while certain groups of students are politically active on campus with regard to the upcoming election, the Carnegie Mellon student community seems to have trouble keeping students involved in politics in non-election times. College Republicans is now defunct, and College Democrats, led by Bell, collapsed after four members of the group's executive board quit.

Now, Bell wants to take steps to rebuild the executive board and connect with students at Carlow College and the University of Pittsburgh to plan bigger events to raise students' political awareness.

Mauro believes the Carnegie Mellon campus is anything but apathetic.

"People know a lot more than we give them credit for, and being undecided isn't being apathetic," she said. "This is an intelligent place. People know a lot and are questioning specifics."

While it's too late to register to vote in time for the Pennsylvania primary, students can still register to vote in the general election this November. To register to vote online in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of State's website at (www.dos.state.pa.us/voting). To register in any of the 50 states, visit (www.declareyourself.com).

Bill targets downloads
By Elizabeth Murphy
Daily Collegian (Penn State)

(U-WIRE) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A bill recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives is causing a stir among colleges because it contains a provision requiring them to take steps to fight illegal downloading.

The College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which passed through the House on Feb. 7, calls for colleges to annually make their policies regarding illegal downloading public and to inform students of their policies and practices about copyright infringement.

Under this new bill, Penn State would be required to publicize its computer or software misuse code on illegal downloading. There were 52 violations of the code from Aug. 28 to Feb. 14, said Gary Miller, assistant director of Judicial Affairs. Penn State subscribes to Ruckus, which allows students to download songs legally and without consequence.

The bill would also require colleges to "develop a plan for offering alternatives to illegal downloading or peer-to-peer distribution of intellectual property as well as a plan to explore technology-based deterrents to prevent such illegal activity," according to the bill.

©tjcog.dst.nc.us

These provisions are contingent upon a college's participation agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, which is necessary to take part in the federal student aid programs, Rachel Racusen, deputy communications director of the Committee of Education and Labor, wrote in an e-mail.

Miller said the Office of Judicial Affairs receives information about possible illegal action committed by students from Security Operations and Services, and then sets up a disciplinary conference.

"Generally, if Judicial Affairs believes a student broke a code of conduct, we issue a charge and sanction," Miller said. "If it is the first offense, we issue different sanctions from a disciplinary warning to probation. If it is not the first time, we could recommend that the student also lose Internet connection for a period of time."

Miller said if the provisions regarding illegal downloading are ultimately ratified, it could increase the number of students referred to Judicial Affairs for breaking the computer or software misuse code.

The provision asking colleges to explore "technological deterrents" to prevent illegal downloading is a point of contention between the bill's backers, the Committee on Education and Labor and independent higher education associations, like EDUCAUSE.

"We oppose that provision about using technology to block illegal file sharing because there is no evidence that any of these technologies developed so far can do the job accurately," said Peter DeBlois, director of programs and media relations of EDUCAUSE.

DeBlois that said in many cases, these filtering programs were found to block legitimate educational research involving file sharing activity.

The wording of the provision shouldn't worry colleges and students, Racusen wrote.

"The bill does not require colleges and universities to adopt specific policies, and leaves it up to schools to decide what those policies should be," Racusen wrote.

Mony Prum (junior-forensic science) said the provision regarding filtering programs is unnecessary.

"I think they are putting too much effort into it when they could be doing something else," she said.

©bsos.umd.edu

COLUMN: Race, gender is winning the race
By Greg Schell
The Pitt News (U. Pittsburgh)

(U-WIRE) PITTSBURGH — What if Sen. Barack Obama were white? Geraldine Ferraro essentially raised this question during an interview with The Daily Breeze, a little-known newspaper in California. She is quoted as saying, "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman of any color, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." Such a quote created quite a ruckus on the campaign and across news outlets. The media was up in arms questioning if she is a racist, her competency and - perhaps, above all - whether she's right.

This election is deemed historic because of the many groundbreaking elements it represents. If Sen. Hillary Clinton wins, she will be the first female president of the United States. If Obama is elected, he will be the first black president of the United States. Sen. John McCain would be the oldest. Had Gov. Mitt Romney made it to win the Republican nomination and then the general election, he would be the first Mormon president. But stepping back, only the Democrats have "firsts" they can sell. Unless there is an underground city the size of California of registered Mormons I'm not aware of, Romney wasn't going to carry the election by winning the Mormon vote. If anything, McCain's geriatric status is a negative. Clinton is a woman, though. She has half the population to court. And Obama has the large black voting bloc. These are things the DNC can sell; things that help you become president.

So the question is begged: Was Ferraro right in saying that Obama wouldn't be first in the race for the Democratic nomination if he weren't black? The question could even be expanded to Clinton. If she weren't a woman, would she be where she is today? Likely, the answers are yes and no, respectively.

©skeptic.com

Clinton wouldn't be a senator if she weren't a former first lady. Her eight years spent by Bill's side - except those moments when he preferred someone else - gave her the credentials and national attention necessary to win a senate seat. Is it possible she could have made it as far if she weren't married to former President Clinton? Anything is possible, but her chances would have been much, much slimmer.

If Clinton weren't a woman, she wouldn't be married to Bill Clinton and wouldn't be in the running for president. She, of course, has other qualities (e.g. a lack of charisma, the inability to emotionally connect with voters and the most outrageously staged laugh ever). For the former first lady, the road to the White House is painted gold.

Obama has a lot going for him, too. He is the junior senator from Illinois with a whopping three years of United States senatorial service. He gave the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention as a mere state senator; so, we all know that he can deliver a speech. Aside from that, there is little else to say about his merits and qualifications. But why did he run for president? Why was Obama chosen to give that speech at the convention? Why is he even on the news? Because he is a symbol. The Democratic Party views him as the post-racial candidate, something you can't be if you're white. He is a symbol of the future, a godsend to the racial-minded elitists of this country.

The mainstream media pushed his candidacy because they, too, aspire to see a black man put in the Oval Office. Would the media have hailed the potential candidacy of a white male who gives good speeches? Would the Democratic base rally in historic numbers for a man with little name recognition who has spent extremely little time on the national stage? Would the DNC be willing to fight the Republican attack machine labeling its white, male candidate as inexperienced, untested and unprepared to lead? Naivety would lead to an affirmative response; reality reveals the true answer: No.

With that in mind, it is important to note that all candidates have something that inspires voters. And these characteristics do not come with a stigma; they are value-neutral. We, as voters, decide if the qualities are positive or negative. Sen. John Kerry was the Vietnam War veteran against the war in Iraq. Former President Clinton was the suave, charismatic southerner. President Ronald Reagan was the ultimate conservative. Hillary Clinton is the wife of Bill Clinton and Obama is the black orator of hope and change.

They each represent a quality Americans are attracted to. This doesn't mean that Reagan and Clinton didn't have other qualifications and characteristics that assisted them in their ascension to the presidency. And it definitely doesn't limit Obama to being solely the black candidate.