With less than a week remaining before the Nov. 7 election, a number of on-campus organizations and various speakers encouraged students to get out and vote at a rally on Nov. 1.

The event – sponsored by the Sacramento Progressive Alliance, Campus Progressive Alliance and California Faculty Association – provided a platform for Bill Durston, Democratic candidate for Congress District 4, Rob Haswell, Democratic candidate for Assembly District 4 and Dan Chaves, a representative for the Phil Angelides campaign, to give students a final push to get to the polls.

Students milled between candidate booths, ate free pizza and picked up a free T-shirt or two while listening to the speakers.

Campus Progressive Alliance President Mallory Frites said the objective of the rally was to encourage voter participation among students.

“We want to bring awareness about the propositions on campus and encourage voters,” Frites said.

She added that the issues at stake are equal access to education and the Iraq war. The group is planning further efforts to mobilize students against the war, she said.

“We’re going to be showing lots of pictures (of the war) because we want people to know what it looks like and know what’s going on,” Frites said.

Junior journalism major Victor Nieto said the rally was important in educating students about how proposed legislation will affect them.

“The things they’re talking about now are going to affect us in the immediate future and unforeseeable future,” Nieto said. “It’s important for everyone to get a clear understanding.”

Durston – whose issues include bringing troops home from Iraq, providing affordable health care, restoring democracy and protecting the environment – also said students should understand why their votes count.

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Story image 2Students were able to speak to Bill Durston at the rally.Photo by Ken McFarland/The State Hornet”We want them to be aware that what’s going on in Washington, D.C. and everywhere else is very profound in their lives and their futures,” Durston said. “I know that it’s hard when you’re in school, with so much else to think about, but you have to pay attention to what’s going on.”

Haswell said today’s students need to mobilize like those who rallied in 1971 against the Vietnam War. Politicians won’t listen unless students get involved, he said. “These issues are going to affect young people for far longer than they will the politicians who make them,” Haswell added.

Junior psychology major Mo Soliday said she attended the rally to get more information because she does not know who she will vote for yet. She still plans to do more research before voting.

“I might go to campaign websites but I’m more likely to go to independent sites that aren’t linked to the candidates,” she said.

Soliday also encouraged her fellow students to head to the polls.

“Students need to vote because most of us are really affected by taxation increases,” she said.”We’re affected by anything monetary.”

Emphasis on dollars was not only associated with education taxes during the rally.

Advocates for proposition 89, which claims to restore balance in the political arena by limiting campaign contributions from corporations, unions and individuals, were also at the event.

“We have a crisis of corruption in our government, marked by scandal after scandal and criminal investigations of politicians from both parties,” read a brochure from Californians for Clean Elections. “Prop. 89 presents Californians an opportunity to clean up this corruption, take back control over our elections, and make politicians accountable to voters instead of big money campaign contributors.”

But opponents of proposition 89 want candidates for state offices to continue to pay for their campaigns with private funds subject only to current contribution limits. The tax rate on corporations and financial institutions would remain the same.

According to Californians to Stop Prop 89’s web site, the proposition “Discriminates against business, nonprofit organizations and organized labor groups that represent teachers, firefighters and law enforcement” and “Raises taxes on all incorporated California businesses.”