LSU FREE SPEECH ALLEY- "Political Awareness Day"
by Natalie Messina - Reveille (excerpt)

Some of the activities, including "Political Awareness Day," are also geared toward political gurus on campus. On Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Free Speech Alley, SG will host "Louisiana Politics - Past, Present and Future" in an effort to engage students in the entire Baton Rouge community.

Adam Parker, SG director of external affairs, helped coordinate the activities and invited local government and public service organizations to share their services and resources with students. Representatives from Blueprint Louisiana, Louisiana Department of Arts, Mayor-President Kip Holden's office, Gov. Bobby Jindal's office, the Council for French Speaking Louisiana and Louisiana Old State Capitol Museum are tentatively scheduled to be in Free Speech Alley.

But Parker said the main focus Thursday is voter outreach, and he is hopeful about listening to representatives from the Louisiana Secretary of State's Department of Voter Outreach.

In a continued effort to lessen voter apathy, SG will launch their "Beyond The Gates: Student-Community Portal" Web site. Parker said the site has made registering to vote easier than in the past. SG will provide laptops in Free Speech Alley for students to register to vote and change party affiliation among other voting options.