Students looking for an excuse to play hooky have a golden opportunity to dodge class while making a political stand for higher education funding.
The University College Democrats, the Democratic Party of Lane County and the Yes on 28 Committee are sponsoring a walkout and rally in support of Measure 28 from noon to 1 p.m. Monday in the EMU Amphitheater.
“If you don’t have class, come; if you have class, come,” College Democrats co-Chairman Mike Linman said.
The walkout and rally takes place the day before election day and will be a major push to energize voters in support of higher education funding. Linman said the event is intended to bring students, faculty, staff and community members together to fight for the passage of Measure 28.
In addition, groups from Lane Community College, local high schools and other Oregon University System colleges are expected to participate in pro-Measure 28 walkout rallies, Linman said.
“It’s a form of protest on behalf of students to show the rest of the state how this will affect us,” he said.
With $26.9 million in budget cuts for OUS on one hand and a 0.5 percent tax rate increase for Oregonians in the top income tax bracket on the other, Measure 28 is causing the political cauldron to boil.
Lane County Elections Supervisor Roxann Marshall said many people have been voting early for the special election because it’s such a controversial issue. Marshall said 41
percent of registered voters in Lane County had returned their ballots as of Jan. 22, a substantial early turnout for a special election. She said that in previous elections, most people waited to vote until the last two days.
Eric Bailey, also co-Chairman of College Democrats, said students need to vote because the measure will have tremendous repercussions, such as tuition increases, if it fails. Over the past two weeks, Bailey has been working tirelessly to educate voters about Measure 28. Linman said Bailey even sacrificed $500 to place a supporting argument in the Voter’s Pamphlet.
“He’s living on the Top Ramen diet now,” Linman said jokingly.
Monday’s walkout and rally is expected to attract between 500 and 1,000 people, Bailey said. He said it is important for the entire University to raise awareness of the election and added that rally organizers have not received any negative responses from University members for sponsoring a walkout.
“We have had no one tell us not to do it,” Bailey said.
Senior Vice President and Provost John Moseley said Tuesday’s election is very important to the University, and as such, the administration is in favor of events that encourage people to exercise their right to vote. However, faculty members are expected to hold classes as scheduled. He added that while attendance is not mandatory throughout the whole University, students are free to express their political views by leaving class to attend the walkout and rally.