Kerry urges collegiate action
Senator John Kerry told college students Tuesday to get involved in the presidential race because they have significant power to drive change.

By Angelica Rosas
Staff Reporter

Senator John Kerry encouraged college students Tuesday to reemerge as a influential political voice in America to take power away from special interests and return it to those who deserve it.

“Young people have enormous power and need to understand it, embrace it and use it,” the Massachusetts senator said in a conference call with college journalists that the TCU Daily Skiff participated in. “As young people, if you walk away from using your voice, you empower the people with money and you give them the power.”

The presumed Democratic presidential nominee kicked off a college campus tour this week to bolster the collegiate vote.

The senator told reporters to exercise common sense in deciding who to support for president. He criticized President George W. Bush for his failure to control the rising cost of education and health care.

Kerry told journalists of his plan to “grow” 10 million new jobs over four years by pushing the “technology curve.” These jobs will be “the high end and high paying jobs” college students look for after graduation, he said.

“If young people will do some of the political work in America we will win back fairness and a different Congress,” Kerry said in response to a Skiff reporter’s question on how he planned to get and keep the collegiate vote until November.

Kerry also responded to questions about his proposal to pay get high school graduates involved in community service in exchange for free college tuition.

“Those that don’t serve in the military can serve by doing community service and in exchange we will pay for in-state college costs,” Kerry said. “The money will go to the student and the student will choose what college to use the money toward.”

Chairwoman Pat Carlson of the Tarrant County Republican Party said she thinks taxpayers will have to shoulder the financial costs of “free college.” Carlson said the government stipend for tuition is not necessary because students can work or use existing government funds.

“If a young person really wants to get an education, then it’s most certainly possible,” Carlson said. “Students have to realize, however, that taxpayers will have to pay for this and those students who got free college tuition are going to end up paying for others when they graduate.”

Carlson said she plans to bolster college support through the area college chapters such as the TCU chapter of College Republicans.