Contrary to the opinions of some, voting is an essentially important civic opportunity — one that college students nationwide often fail to sieze. In an effort to encourage voter turnout at Penn State, a non-partisan initiative called PSU Votes (@PSUVOTES) supported by students, faculty, and staff is sponsoring a series of “What’s at Stake” forums to address the issues of imporance in the November election.

Each of the forums will focus on topics relevant to students while stressing the importance of voter registration and voter participation in the 2012 election. The first forum of the series, entitled “Why Vote?” will be held on Wednesday, September 26th, from 8:00 – 9:00 pm, in Heritage Hall.

The forum is headlined by a few household Penn State names;

• Jay Paterno: The former quarterbacks coach will give a presentation on why elections matter.

• Coquese Washington: Fresh off of signing a new 5-year contract with Penn State, she will offer a presentation on the importance of voting.

• John Gastil: A professor of Communication Arts and Sciences plans to answer the question: “Do we really hate each other, or does it just look like it? Incivility, polarization, and deliberation in American politics.”

Next Wednesday’s event will be moderated by Chris Arbutina, a College Relations Coordinator in the Schreyer Honors College.

Other forums in the series will be held on the following dates;

October 15 – Employment and Student Aid

October 22 – Foreign Policy

October 29 – The Environment!

Reminder: voter registration ends on Oct. 9.–Election Day is Nov. 6.