Students for Sherrod Hold Organizing Summit in Columbus

Sherrod speaks at student organizing summit.

Earlier this month, student leaders from around the state gathered in Columbus to kick off an organizing drive to elect Sherrod to the U.S. Senate.

Sherrod told the student organizers that their involvement in his campaign would play a decisive role in this year's election.

"Young people have been at the forefront of every great social movement in our country's history," Sherrod said. "They will be a critical part of our victory in 2006."

The event took place at Drinko Hall on the campus of the Ohio State University.  Sherrod talked about jobs, health care, and the need to make college affordable for all.

"A few decades ago, 30% of college aid was in the form of loans, and 70% was grants. Today, those proportions have switched.  I have fought in Congress to make college tuition in Ohio once again affordable, and I will keep fighting in the Senate."

Sherrod's opponent in the election, Republican Mike DeWine, voted in 2004 against an amendment that would have increased the Pell Grant and indexed it to tuition costs. If the amendment had passed, the maximum Pell Grant would have increased whenever tuition costs rose.

"Year after year, President Bush has broken his campaign promises on college aid. And year after year, the Republican leadership in Congress has let him do it," Sherrod said. "Instead of helping students afford college, they have helped our nation's millionaires afford more yachts by passing trillion dollar tax cuts."

Voter turnout among young people rose significantly from 2000 to 2004. According to the nonpartisan Center for Information and Research on Learning and Civic Engagement, turnout among Americans aged 18-24 rose from 37% in 2000 to 46% in 2004. In battleground states like Ohio, the increase was even larger--a change from 38% in 2000 to 54% in 2004.

"Ohioans are demanding change, especially young Ohioans," Sherrod said. "This year, we are going to take our government out of the hands of corporate special interests and put it back into the hands of Ohio families, where it belongs."

04/20/2006 / Permalink / students, Volunteer, (all tags)