‘Real World’ cast members are urging Syracuse University students to turn off the television and tune into a true reality of politics.

Two former ‘Real World’ cast members, an original copy of the Declaration of Independence and a group of spoken word poets will be brought together today to educate students about voting.

Declare Yourself is a traveling non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to register as many young voters as possible by the 2004 presidential election, said Mary McGuire, the associate director of Declare Yourself.

The program, centered in Goldstein Auditorium, is free and will have voter registration tables and informative voting booths that will teach students the importance of voting, according to the Declare Yourself press release.

Coral from the ‘Real World New York’ and Melissa from the ‘Real World New Orleans’ will be present at the program along with an original print of the Declaration of Independence. Entertainers also include spoken word artists who have appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, BET’s Lyric Cafe and at the Sundance Film Festival, according to the Declare Yourself press release.

‘Instead of using music, we are using spoken word, which is an up and coming performance art,’ McGuire said. ‘Spoken word is meant to signify people using their voice, and that’s what were trying to do, is inspire students to use their voice by voting,’ she added.

Declare Yourself organizers originally called Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw to suggest bringing the program to Syracuse University, said Ellen King, the director of student events.

‘The chancellor thought this was a great opportunity for students and started working with the folks at Declare Yourself to bring it here,’ King said.

SU was chosen for a variety of reasons, including size and location. Declare Yourself had not been to the Northeast yet, and McGuire said Syracuse would be a great school to come to.

‘Syracuse University has a reputation – being that is a pre-eminent institution, and it is in Central New York. We have a very active campus and the fact that again there was a lot of student excitement,’ King said.

Organizers expressed excitement for the event.

‘Students have been very receptive to the event because something like this has never been done at SU,’ said Courtney Bell, a senior communications and rhetorical studies major and a student representative for the event. ‘The fact that it has been charged by the chancellor has generated some buzz,’ she added.

Declare Yourself organizers also cited students’ initiative as a positive aspect to the event.

‘Student organizations have gotten involved. So I think from their perspective they are really happy and they are really pleased so far in our reaction and our input,’ King said. ‘The folks from Declare Yourself were actually really excited about coming to Syracuse because we have had a lot of student interest.’

Declare Yourself is part of a bigger organization called The Declaration of Independence Road Trip, McGuire said. It first was conceived in June 2000, when Norman Lear, a television producer, purchased an original copy of the Declaration of Independence that was found on the back of a picture frame at an auction. He bought the document with the intention of taking it around the country with hopes of inspiring people to be more civically active and to vote.

The group does not focus on endorsing a candidate or party.

‘We are completely non-partisan,’ McGuire said. ‘It’s our goal not to encourage people to vote one way or the other but just to use their voice by voting however they feel they should.’

McGuire said she did not know how politically involved SU is or whether the university has a low voter turnout. Bell added that this program is important for any and all students.

‘I think all students, no matter what college they go to, need this information,’ Bell said. ‘Declare yourself will remind all of us of the importance of voting in the presidential election this year. We need to make our voice heard so legislators will pay more attention to us.’

Although Declare Yourself is a separate organization from some other student voting programs, McGuire said that the same result is always in mind.

‘We are all working towards the same goal,’ McGuire said. ‘You can never have too many people registering young people to vote because they are going to be very important in the next election if they come out.’

Published on March 22, 2004 at 12:00 pm