H.U. students get on the bus and vote

By Nicquita Reed

11/8/2008

HAMPTON, Va. – Courtesy of Hampton University, three 55-passenger buses from the Vehicle Services Department were provided for students to have a ride in order to vote Tuesday. These buses transported approximately 450 on-campus students to Precinct 105, East Hampton at the Woodland’s Golf Course.

The buses left the student center at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m. “We ran about three buses at each time,” said Barbara Inman, interim vice president of student affairs.

Hampton University administrators decided to provide these buses after a concerned student brought the issue to Inman’s attention. “I had a student come to me and ask if the school would be providing transportation for the students to go vote and I took that request to the administration,” she said.

Inman, along with the president and other administrators, then collaborated with the departments of student activities, which were able to advertise the information to students; and vehicle services, which provided buses and drivers for the day.

Sade Harper, a sophomore nursing major from Lumberton NJ., was excited as she rode the bus to vote today. “This is my first time voting,” she explained, “I’m voting for Obama so if he does win, I’ll feel like I made a small contribution,” said the Wynona Hall resident.

Yusef Ali, a senior health and physical education major, was also excited about experiencing his first time voting today: “We’re ready for a change…This is a historical moment,” said the. Ali then quoted rap artist, Jay-Z, when he said, “Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked, so Obama can run. Obama’s running so we all can fly.”

Jerry Hardy, a member of the vehicle services department, said he made three trips to Woodland’s Golf Course Tuesday. “The buses were full the first two trips… The first group was very excited, but well behaved,” said the HU employee of six years.

Jessica Scott, a senior political science major from Cincinnati, was an absentee voter for Obama but made use of her day by volunteering at the Woodland’s Golf Course. She wanted to make sure that students were informed correctly on their rights to vote and had the proper documents. “Everything has been running smoothly,” she said, “There were only a few who had to do provisional ballots.”

Hampton University was not the only institution providing transportation for HU students to the voting polls. The Hampton Office for the Campaign for Change also coordinated shuttles to transport students to and from the Woodland’s Golf Course.

Samuel Scott Sr., a volunteer at this Obama Campaign Office was excited about providing rides for students to vote. “We’re trying to make it easy for them...none of the kids have to take their cars, they can just go vote and come on back,” said Scott.

Jane Reed, another volunteer at the Obama Campaign Office, was enthused to be a van driver today. “I am so thrilled that all these students came out to vote,” she said, “even in the rain.”

According to one of the HU campus directors at the Obama office, the campaign office provided four 15 passenger vans that circulated between the opening and closing times of the polls. Raven Pratt, a broadcast journalism major from Charlotte, NC has been volunteering for the Barack Obama Campaign since September of this year and has been working hard to make sure students “Get Out to Vote.”

 The writer is a junior at Hampton University Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications.