Will Kynes went to the Rock 'N Rally last Saturday for the music, but he came away with a little more than he expected.
He left with the power to vote.
"I'm not very politically active," the fourth-year College student admitted. "I probably would not have registered if this forum had not been provided for me."
The "forum" was almost your typical Mad Bowl concert: students playing Frisbee, soaking up the sun and listening to Sankofa, 2 Skinnee J's and O.A.R. jamming on a tent-covered stage.
But during a break between sets, College Dean Edward L. Ayers sarcastically downplayed the virtue of voting. And Frisbee throwers had to stay clear of the 20 voter registration tables lining the field's perimeter.
Combining forces with PK German, Student Council co-sponsored the Rock 'N Rally in an effort to inform students about the Higher Education Bond Referendum. The state-level bond would allot $68 million to the University if passed in the Nov. 5 general election.
Even though the concert was free, there was still a lot of money at stake.
As 2 Skinnee J's blasted in the background, Ian Amelkin -- the rally's voter registration coordinator and University Democrats president -- was enthusiastic about the event's impact.
"I believe that in one day we have raised the political conscience of this entire University," Amelkin said.
Amelkin had good reason to be optimistic. In six hours on Saturday, rally volunteers registered 726 new voters.
Saturday's turnout was impressive for a political function, Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato said. He added that the Rock 'N Rally "was one of the largest and most successful political rallies" he has seen in Virginia this year.
Sabato says it is challenging to get a large group of people together to support a particular issue.
The era of huge student rallies like those in the '70s is long gone, but the success of the Rock 'N Rally is "a terrific step forward," and has attracted a lot of public attention to the bond issue, Sabato said.
Kynes said the free concert served as a strong incentive for students to attend the rally.
"College students tend to live by the law of inertia, meaning a body at rest tends to stay at rest," Kynes said. "It takes motivation to move them from a state of rest and get them out to support an issue."
Amelkin estimated rally attendance at 3,000, and said the turnout might indicate a rise in political awareness around Grounds.
"While we're not accustomed to high political activity amongst U.Va. students, I am seeing a revived political interest this year," Student Council President Micah Schwartz said. "I suppose budget cuts and water shortages will do that to you."
At the rally, second-year College student Kelly O'Hargan commented on the education bond as she finished filling out a voter registration form.
"Small things like the limit on printing and the fact that Brown residents now clean their own bathrooms really hit home, and made me realize that we as students need to get involved now to obtain funding," O'Hargan said.
Fourth-year College student Kristin Paccione, a member of the South Lawn Committee under the Board of Visitors, hopes voters will approve the bond referendum. Some of the bond funds would go to the South Lawn Project, a construction plan for the renovation of Rouss and Cocke halls and the addition of two new buildings on Central Grounds.
The South Lawn Project will "allow us to improve the University environment in a way that will effect students for many years to come," Paccione said. She also said she was "impressed at the top bands U.Va. was able to book to promote the bond referendum."
Amelkin said national issues, such as the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the subsequent war on terrorism have given students additional reasons to be politically active.
"These events are easy for students to relate to because they hit so close to home and have such a large possibility of affecting us all at one point or another," Amelkin said.
Sabato said there were factors working against high turnout at the rally, such as low-key election races this year and the lack of a specific sponsor for the bond bill.
Nevertheless, the music was a huge draw.
First-year College student Will Leavitt said he attended the Rock 'N Rally only to see the bands play. Before Saturday, Leavitt says he was opposed to the bond.
"Initially I said 'no,' because I was under the impression that the money would be supplied by raised taxes," Leavitt said.
But then a Rock 'N Rally volunteer changed his mind.
"He definitely made me rethink my initial position," Leavitt said.
For his part, Kynes says he is prepared to put his newfound voter status to use on the bond referendum.
"I definitely plan to vote, especially if there's a band at the voting site," Kynes said.
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