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The Daily OrangeCNN to visit SU, encourage participation in upcoming election
By Steve Doane
Posted: 10/29/08, 3:04 AM EST Section: News
With the presidential election only days away, CNN will visit Syracuse University today to promote voter education and its own election coverage.
The "Election Express Yourself Tour," hosted by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, is a voter education program sponsored by CNN which will feature interactive exhibits and foster political participation.
"It's part of an effort by CNN to use technology to encourage people to participate in this election," said Charlotte Grimes, Knight Chair in Political Reporting at Newhouse.
The event will be hosted out of a 45-foot Airstream trailer, with the capacity for participants to create video "shout outs" to voice their political opinions, political trivia games and a graffiti wall.
The tour is part of a cross-country promotional effort leading up to the election. It was present at the vice presidential debate in St. Louis, the presidential debate at Hofstra University and both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, said Jeff Unaitis, vice president for public affairs for the Central New York division of Time Warner Cable, which is organizing the event.
The tour has also visited several campuses around the country, including Ohio State University and the University of Iowa.
The tour members chose to stop at SU after a pit stop in New York City because they wanted to appeal to the university audience, Unaitis said.
But some students were less enthusiastic about the tour stop at SU.
"I think it's more to get CNN's voice out," Megan Sunzeri, a junior art history and television, radio and film major, said.
Clayton Parker, senior information management and technology major, agreed with Sunzeri.
"I think kids care about voting, not so much talking to CNN," he said.
Other students said they thought CNN's name recognition could add to the event's appeal.
"I'm glad CNN is doing that," Ian Heusser, junior civil engineering major, said. "It's getting students and other people involved with the election. I think because it's CNN, it's going to get a decent turnout."
sdoane@syr.edu
The "Election Express Yourself Tour," hosted by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, is a voter education program sponsored by CNN which will feature interactive exhibits and foster political participation.
"It's part of an effort by CNN to use technology to encourage people to participate in this election," said Charlotte Grimes, Knight Chair in Political Reporting at Newhouse.
The event will be hosted out of a 45-foot Airstream trailer, with the capacity for participants to create video "shout outs" to voice their political opinions, political trivia games and a graffiti wall.
The tour is part of a cross-country promotional effort leading up to the election. It was present at the vice presidential debate in St. Louis, the presidential debate at Hofstra University and both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, said Jeff Unaitis, vice president for public affairs for the Central New York division of Time Warner Cable, which is organizing the event.
The tour has also visited several campuses around the country, including Ohio State University and the University of Iowa.
The tour members chose to stop at SU after a pit stop in New York City because they wanted to appeal to the university audience, Unaitis said.
But some students were less enthusiastic about the tour stop at SU.
"I think it's more to get CNN's voice out," Megan Sunzeri, a junior art history and television, radio and film major, said.
Clayton Parker, senior information management and technology major, agreed with Sunzeri.
"I think kids care about voting, not so much talking to CNN," he said.
Other students said they thought CNN's name recognition could add to the event's appeal.
"I'm glad CNN is doing that," Ian Heusser, junior civil engineering major, said. "It's getting students and other people involved with the election. I think because it's CNN, it's going to get a decent turnout."
sdoane@syr.edu
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