As the time for filling out the 2010 U.S. Census gets closer, a group of LSU students work ambitiously to explain to college students the importance of being a part of this year’s census.
The U.S. Census Bureau will be sending off census forms in March and April. The census is only 10 questions and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. It’s safe, easy and completely confidential. Law prohibits the U.S. Census Bureau from sharing the information collected from the census with anyone, including federal agencies.
The team, made up of five public relations students, are hoping to make students understand that it isn’t about where you’re from, its where you live.
According to Chelsey Laborde, team member, “The census requires that students are counted in the city in which they reside the majority of the year, or where they attend college.”
Reaching college students is important because according to local enrollment numbers Baton Rouge has more than 50,000 higher-education students who account for about 22 percent of the city’s population. Parents should not include college-age children on their 2010 census form if their children do not live with them majority of the year.
Students filling out the census will play a vital role in distribution of government funds. Based on statistics generated from the census, the government allocates more than $400 billion to communities. Funding from the federal government is used to help pay for public health, transportation, higher education and other basic services that are used by college students. Data collected from the census can also affect college and university tuition grants, loans programs and can provide important data for research conducted by students and faculty.
It is mandated by federal law that everyone in the United States, citizens and non-citizens alike, is counted in the census. There will be a site on campus for students to return their census form.
The students who are working nonstop to inform the students in the state of the census make up the LSU Bateman team as a part of the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) national Bateman competition. The team is made up of Jennie Armsrong, junior; Bridget Cloud senior both from New Orleans, Erica Fisher, senior from Destrahan, LA, Chelsey Laborde senior from Marksville and Lauren St. Pierre senior from Nederland, TX.
“The competition entails creating and implementing a campaign during the month of February and evaluating its success in March. This year the U.S. Census Bureau has been selected as the client,” said Laborde. The team has hosted numerous events at local bars, restaurants on college campuses and at sporting events to educated college students on the importance of filling out the Census in Baton Rouge. The team is competing with about 80 other institutions across America. They were chosen by professors in their department to represent the university.
To learn more about the 2010 Census visit the team’s Web site at www.repreCENSUS.com. They are asking SU students to visit their repreCensus Web site and to follow them on twitter and Facebook. Their campaign ends Sunday.
Categories:
SU 2010 Census
February 28, 2010
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