FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DCC STUDENTS RECOGNIZED FOR

VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN

DANVILLE, VA, October 23, 2002 -- Students from Danville Community College and The College of William and Mary traveled to Richmond recently to be recognized for their campus voter registration drives.

DCC students registered 187 new voters, representing eight (8) percent, to win first place in the Community College Division of a voter registration campaign. William and Mary’s team, led by members of the first known student-run Political Action Committee (PAC) in Virginia turned in 722 voter registrations, about 20 percent of their enrollment, to take first place among the four-year schools.

Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine congratulated the winning teams on behalf of Foundation 2002, the group promoting passage of the $900 million higher education bond issue as well as the $119 million parks and recreation bond question on the November 5^th ballot in Virginia. The lieutenant governor, a Democrat, co-chairs the Foundation’s Executive Committee with Republican Attorney General Jerry Kilgore.

After a press conference on October 22 in Richmond with the Lieutenant Governor, Governor Mark Warner joined the students for lunch in the executive mansion.

For community colleges, student leaders will also be recognized at a Student Leadership Conference scheduled for Nov. 1-3 in Richmond, where second and third place winners in the voter registration campaign will be announced, as well as winners of a second category for overall effort and message in a campaign.

Representing Danville Community College at the luncheon and press conference were Dr. B. Carlyle Ramsey, President, and students Anika White, President of the Student Government Association;  Henry W. Chappell, Jr., a member of the Pew Leadership Plenty Student Leader Team; Stephen Morris, President of the Upsilon Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society; and Rhonda Toppin, a member of the college’s Gospel Choir. Other DCC college organizations also participated in the voter registration campaign.

"These students have done an outstanding job," said Dr. Ramsey. "It’s always so gratifying to see student leaders emerge, and they keep on emerging, in every class of new students. Now, we’re going to challenge them to move on to the next step, making sure we turn out the vote on Nov. 5."

Also on hand to honor the students were Foundation 2002 Campaign Director Judy Ford and Student Campaign Organizer Bennett Smith. According to the Foundation, nearly 6,300 students were registered to vote in this program – including more than 1,260 from community colleges – making it one of the most successful voter registration drives ever conducted in Virginia. The same effort also helped Virginia students obtain and file absentee ballots.

College of William and Mary President Dr. Timothy Sullivan accompanied his team, composed of Van Smith, student coordinator of the bond campaign on the Williamsburg campus; Brian Cannon, chairman of Students of William and Mary PAC; Sheila Leonard, William Blake and David Solimini. All the William and Mary students are members of the Political Action Committee, which raised $12,000 to promote the general obligation bonds in their area. 

Photo Caption: Lt. Gov. Timothy Kaine (center) with (l to r) students Rhonda Toppin and Stephen Morris, President Carlyle Ramsey, and students Anika White and Henry Chappell, Jr.