Students discuss differences between Obama, Romney

 
Southern University students attended ‘Obama vs. Romney’ to understand the beliefs of both sides of the 2012 presidential debate.
Attendees were introduced to social and economic problems concerning the United States and how the partisan candidates would address them.
The event was held to encourage students to exercise their right to vote and understand which candidate shares their same values and opinions.
At the beginning of the program, participants were asked to complete a survey of questions based on their personal opinions about issues such as abortion, welfare and immigration laws.
Simone Bray, Student Government Association chief justice presented a PowerPoint with the answers to the questionnaire.
Maria Harmon, a graduate, public administration major from Lake Charles, serves as the chairman of College Democrats, said that the power point was her most enjoyable moment of the event.
“It gave me an opinion on how to vote based on what’s important to me,” Harmon said.
Shaina Craige, a junior, animal science major from Mobile, Ala., said she had a positive experience.
Craige agreed, it is very important to vote. She enjoyed the survey and said her favorite part of the program was getting to know Obama’s opinions verses Romney’s.
Students got a chance to hear from the sixth congressional district democrat Representative, Don Collins.
Collins talked about her personal views and knowledge on the presidential candidates and answered the question Why Obama?
Citing the difference between the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and the Republican National Convention (RNC), She pointed out that DNC was more diverse in age, race and socio economic status.
While, the RNC contained mostly old white ‘folks’ and wealthy men in leadership positions.
Collins said, “When GOP says they want to take America back that means more of the new Jim Crow in which slavery shackles have become prison shackles. Wake up Louisiana. We have the highest incarceration rate in the world.”
Collins asked the question what does America need to be taken back to, and how the answer is moving forward.
“The question is what do they want to take America back to? My answer to the question of why Obama verses the competition is simple. I want to go forward. I don’t want to go back,” Collins said.
Willie McCorkle, a senior public relations major from New Orleans and SGA president said, he attended the event to support Bray’s initiatives to inform the SU student body on the November election.
When asked did anything he learned at the event affect his decision on who he may vote for in November and how, McCorkle said,”Most definitely, I especially appreciated the survey at the beginning of the program. It gave me an opportunity to compare what I believed along side President Obama’s values and beliefs.”