Despite an April Fools' Day prank about a speech by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama on campus, the importance of young voters to the Democratic presidential candidates is no joke.
With the Pennsylvania primary set for April 22, the campaigns of Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton are organizing their student supporters in grassroots efforts across the region to turn out voters and address them directly.
Since endorsing Obama in early March, the Penn Democrats have helped the campaign "extend efforts into dorms and out into University City," said Wharton freshman Michael Stratton, the co-president of Penn for Obama.
However, Stratton said that, while both groups are reaching out to University City and West Philadelphia, "our focus is the campus."
To that end, there will be numerous opportunities for Penn students to discuss policy with Obama surrogates in the form of panels and open discussions on campus.
In an e-mail released yesterday, Penn Dems announced two Obama policy panels on Wednesday and Thursday about foreign policy and health care, respectively.
The foreign policy panel will take place in Logan Hall at 4 p.m. Wednesday, and the health care discussion in Huntsman Hall at 5 p.m. Thursday.
"These are surrogates who would be holding significant positions in an Obama administration," said College sophomore Mukul Sharma, the vice president of Penn Democrats.
The Clinton campaign - and its on-campus organization Penn for Hillary - is also taking direct aim at young voters in the Philadelphia area.
"We are aiming to bring as many people to campus as we can," said College junior Julie Siegel, Penn for Hillary spokeswoman and former DP Spin editor.
At this time, the Clinton campaign has not yet scheduled policy panels for Penn's campus, although Clinton gave a closed policy speech on the economy at Houston Hall last week. Chelsea Clinton also spoke on campus in early March.
Siegel said it's premature for Penn for Hillary to predict the areas of the city in which the group will campaign but said that the campus will be the primary focus.
"It is really important to us that we respect students as voters and give them access to all the information they need to make an informed decision," Siegel said.
Despite Penn Dems' on-campus focus, the group is preparing to reach out to voters across the area, as well.
This weekend, Penn for Obama and Penn Dems are launching a West Philadelphia get-out-the-vote campaign aimed at voter mobilization and education.
Student volunteers will learn how to approach voters and how to respond to voter questions at Obama's West Philadelphia office, located at 52nd and Pine streets, Sharma said.
On Saturday, the Obama campaign will also open a University City office at 40th and Chestnut streets.
