Leaders talk CATS future

 
Southern University students along with the group, Together Baton Rouge, met Tuesday to speak about a collective effort to save CATS transportation.
The group working to reform CATS will host an event at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 6 at The T.J. Jemison Baptist Center to educate everyone about CATS reform and get students registered to vote.
“Most importantly we want to have students on one accord to make a positive impact,” junior mass communication major from New Orleans Willie McCorkle said.
April 21 is the date for voting in favor or against the CATS reform. Students will be able to vote at F.G. Clark Activity Center.
“I feel as though this is a crisis that greatly affects and potentially handicap the students of Southern University,” Ebony Yarbrough, a junior English major from Baton Rouge said.
There will be a competition conducted for organizations to garner 300 voter registration cards in an effort to get students registered for the ‘critical’ election.
“The way Southern can really make more of a difference is by organizing the student body and getting them registered,” Broderick Bagert, lead organizer for Together Baton Rouge said.
After students register the next part of the program is to bring students to vote for the improvements on the ballot.
“Once the registration deadline rolls around we will have to think hard about how to turn people out. This could have such a devastating effect on Southern with no longer having the Southern shuttle. That could be a way to energize people. Plus with the notion that if it passes it will so significantly improve services,” Bagert said.
McCorkle one of the chairpersons hopes that Southern will benefit but, also the Baton Rouge community.
“I hope this is will put Southern in a positive light and do something positive for the campus and Baton Rouge area,” McCorkle said.
Attendees and participants can gain more information at the March 6 meeting on how to join the competition and effort.
“We have all student leaders on board. This is a two stage campaign first, we need to get students registered to vote and the second part is to get students to turn out to vote,” McCorkle said.
The competition ends on March 15 and organizations will submit their registration cards each organization is expected to collect 300 voter cards.
According to competition rules, “All teams are responsible for having each registration card completely filled out. The team that exceed ​the quota with the  most cards will have  a bus named in their honor and a year of bragging rights.”
Together Baton Rouge is working with leaders at Southern to minimize the ‘devastating effect’ on the students if CATS service is terminated.
Together Baton Rouge aims to have 20,000 voters across Baton Rouge cast ballots making each vote cast worth $1500.
For students interested in attending the March 6 meeting transportation will be provided to and from the event starting at 5:45 p.m. that evening.
For students, faculty or staff who will be in the Baton Rouge area during spring break, early voting will take place April 7-14 at 10 sites around the city.​