The merits of early voting currently debated
Aims to increase young voter participation

By Michael Davis
staff reporter

Early voting, an attempt to increase voter participation and turnout, began Monday and will be held through Nov. 3 for the Nov. 7 general elections, where voters will elect a new president and decide state and local elections.

James Riddlesperger, chairman of the political science department, said there are two sides to early voting. Early voting does allow more people an opportunity to vote and is devised to attract more young voters, he said.

Riddlesperger said he is in favor of anything that encourages more participation, but the greater ease of voting doesn’t necessarily translate into a larger voter turnout. Voter turnout has actually decreased in the past decades even though the government has attempted to make voting easier, he said.

Since the 1960s, the percentage of voters in the 18 to 24 age group has been declining. In 1964, almost 51 percent of young voters turned out, according to the Census Bureau. In 1996, just under one-third of that group voted.

More voter participation is needed, but Riddlesperger cautioned that individuals voting before the conclusion of the campaign may not see the entire picture.

“People might vote differently two weeks from now,” he said.

If people vote early, the latest news on the candidates leading up to the election will be wasted, he said.
Other factors are involved in determining whether people come to the polls. Disaffection with the political parties and people who don’t think their votes count both play a role in voter turnout, he said.

Russ DiCapo, a senior management major, said he likes the idea and plans on voting early because he has already decided who he wants to vote for. But he did say there could be drawbacks if you aren’t completely sure.

“There are so many things that can happen between now and election day,” he said. “When people vote this early they don’t necessarily see the entire picture or have all the information.”

Other students said they don’t have anything against early voting, but they said they weren’t going to take advantage of the opportunity.

Justin Dinsdale, a senior history major from Houston, said he plans on voting via an absentee ballot.
“I just have my parents send me the ballot in the mail,” he said.

Information and absentee forms can be found at (www.voter.com). Individuals interested in voting can also go to their resident state’s Website and download the appropriate forms.

With a margin for error of 4 percent, the latest Gallup Poll (Oct. 20-22) shows Republican Gov. George W. Bush at 46 percent and Democrat Vice President Al Gore at 44 percent.

In other important elections around the state, Republican Dee Anderson will face Democrat Luther Perry in the race for Tarrant County sheriff. Anderson is currently the public information officer for the Arlington Police Department. Perry is a recently-retired Fort Worth police officer.

In the state senate where Republicans have only a one-seat majority, a key race is shaping up for State Senate District 2. Robert Deuell, a Greenville doctor and school board member, will try to win the seat currently held by Sen. David Cain, D-Dallas.

Michael Davis
m.s.davis@student.tcu.edu

Voting goes online
Proposal made to end paper ballots

By Hemi Ahluwalia
staff reporter

The university’s move to online voting for all elections may mean the Information Desk paper ballots will no longer be accepted, said Brian Becker, elections and regulations committee chairman.

Unlike paper ballots, the computers will keep track of the tabulations as they come in throughout the election, Becker said.

“Paper ballots are counted by hand which leaves room for human error, such as the altering of votes, which can damage the credibility of the votes,” Becker said.

The House of Student Representatives will vote on a bill to eliminate the paper ballot during its meeting at 5 p.m. today in the Student Center, Room 222.

Online voting will not only make it easier to keep track of the numbers but also give students a better chance to vote, Becker said.

“I believe that we can run a completely online election because we have made significant progress to help students vote,” Becker said. “With computer voting, people can submit their vote from home or even if they are studying abroad, and still have a say in what happens at TCU.”

Not all people agree with the proposal to eliminate paper ballots altogether.

“Since I do not have a computer, I have always voted by the paper ballots,” said JoEllen Ehler, a junior geology major. “If those are eliminated I am likely not to vote.”

Larry Markley, adviser to Student Government Association, thinks paper ballots should be kept in case something goes wrong with the online voting process.

Paper ballots were used in last year’s first online election to help get through the process in case there were technical problems, Becker said.

“Out of 1,864 votes, only 82 people voted with paper ballots,” he said. “That tells me that students like the idea of voting online.”

Last year online voting was done through E-lections.com, and problems arose when students had to create new pin numbers and passwords to vote. Students can now vote for SGA officers through the FrogNet system and use their current passwords and pin numbers for FrogNet.

“We will never eliminate the possibility of (bringing) back paper ballots in the case that something goes wrong,” Becker said. “But we need to move in the direction of total online voting, especially to get new students used to the idea.”

Ashleigh Powell, a junior psychology major, agrees with the move to get rid of paper ballots.

“I think that it is a lot easier to vote online because it can be done from any where at any time,” she said.

Sara Donaldson, vice president to House of Student Representatives, said according to the elections and regulations committee chairman last year, she won her position due to the paper ballots that were turned in at the Information Desk.

“I won by a small number of votes at the information desk, but if those few people could not have voted it would have affected the outcome of the election,” Donaldson said.

Hemi Ahluwalia
hemia@hotmail.com

Dirty dozen
Cadets endure dirt and sweat to place at competition

By Elise Rambaud
staff reporter

Caked with mud and drenched with sweat and rain, the 12 elite Army ROTC cadets of TCU’s two Ranger Challenge teams called themselves the dirty dozen. The teams placed third and 12th this weekend against 29 teams from Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico at Fort Hood in Killeen.

Cadets got down and dirty as they crawled face-down in the grass and mud on their stomachs and elbows to throw grenades. They also tromped through puddles and crossed a bayou to tie a one-rope bridge.

During the competition, each Ranger Challenge participant must complete seven events, including a written patrolling exam, the Army Physical Fitness Test, grenade assault, weapons assembly/disassembly, one-rope bridge and land navigation courses. The competition concluded with a 10-K ruck run, or foot march, where cadets had to carry full combat gear, including a 40 to 50-pound ruck, or backpack.

Last year, TCU tied for first place with Texas A&M University in overall points, but the trophy was awarded to the Aggies because they ranked first in the most events.

Special to the Skiff Aaron Price, a sophomore business major, assembles an M-16 rifle Saturday in Fort Hood. Price assembled and disassembled the weapon in 1:10, the fastest time in the 29-team Ranger Challenge.

This year, TCU’s purple team ranked third after the University of Texas at Arlington and Texas A&M respectively, and TCU’s white team took 12th place. Only seven points separated the top three teams, said Master Sgt. Leonard Cousins.

Sam Denton, a sophomore business management major, said there was additional pressure to beat their Aggie rivals this year because of the tie last year.

“We’re just glad A&M didn’t take first place this year,” Denton said. “These results will just make us train and fight harder next year. We will beat A&M.”

Logan Grover, a senior criminal justice major and former participant, said it is impressive that TCU is able to send two teams to the competition.

“The majority of our cadets are nurses, which creates a small pool of cadets to choose from who can meet the time commitment and endure physical demands of training,” said Grover. “We send the best of about 60 cadets, whereas universities dedicated to military training like Texas A&M and New Mexico Military Institute have larger and stronger pools to choose from.”

To prepare for the competition, Ranger Challenge cadets practiced three times a week, twice a day, for eight weeks. Morning training sessions
started at 5:30 or 6 a.m. and included practice ruck runs, sit-ups, push-ups
and other event simulations, Denton said.

Todd Anderson, a junior history major, said he had some doubts about committing to the Ranger Challenge team.

“The first time I felt the weight of the ruck on my back at 5:30 a.m., I thought I must be stupid to join this team,” he said. “Now I would lace my boots any day to practice a ruck run for Ranger Challenge.”

Several changes were made to the competition this year. Grenade targets were moved out farther, land navigation grading was changed and the one-rope bridge event was introduced. TCU ranked first in the one-rope bridge, Denton said.

Aaron Price, a sophomore business marketing major, said the focus of Ranger Challenge is team work.
“Even during individual events like weapons assembly and grenade assault, you strive for your personal best speed and accuracy in the interest of the team,” Price said. Price was able to assemble and disassemble an M-16 rifle in one minute and 10 seconds, the fastest time on the team.

Joel St. Clair, a senior nursing major and battalion commander, said teamwork is essential during the ruck run, the most difficult event of Ranger Challenge.

“The conditions of this endurance race can be exhausting and if one of your teammates is in pain or lagging behind, the team will do anything to help him out,” St. Clair said. “One of us may carry his ruck for a while or even tow him along for part of the race.”

As the white team crossed the finish line of the ruck run, Josh Galloway, a sophomore business major, was supported on the shoulders of teammates Donny Pratt and Todd Anderson. Galloway said he experienced severe cramping because of dehydration during the race, but is feeling better now.

“If it weren’t for my teammates, I might not have made it through the race,” Galloway said.

Elise Rambaud
e.j.rambaud@student.tcu.edu

Irish-born poet to speak
Higgins overcomes hardships to succeed in writing

By Sarah McClellan
skiff staff

Rita Ann Higgins, a poet from Galway, Ireland, will read poetry from her new book, “An Awful Ruckus,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the D.J. Kelly Alumni Center.

Higgins is the Green Honors Chair for the English department. The Green Honors Chair is an endowed position set up by Hilda and Ida Green to bring distinguished scholars and writers to TCU. The position rotates between departments in the Add Ran College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and each chooses a lecturer.

Higgins’ background is unlike that of most professional writers because she quit formal schooling when she was 14-years-old to work in a factory.

“Everyone in our family left school after second level,” Higgins said. “Third level wasn’t an option. Generally, you got a job and supported the family.”

In 1982, when Higgins was 22-years-old, she had tuberculosis and spent months in recovery, where she had to rest or stay in bed.

“All we did was watch television and go to bed,” Higgins said. “I thought, ‘I am too young to feel this old,’ so when I got out I thought there must be more to life than this, so I started reading books, which I hadn’t done since I left school when I was 14.”

After reading books such as “Animal Farm” and “Wuthering Heights,” she began writing.

“I had all this mental energy but no physical energy,” Higgins said. “So I went to a writing workshop. I wasn’t good (enough) with the rules of grammar to write prose or stories, so I started writing poetry where there were no rules and whatever pattern I was using was working.”

Karen Steele, assistant professor of English, thinks Higgins’ lack of formal schooling had a positive effect on her writing.

“She didn’t have the schooling, which you would think is a terrible deficiency, but it allowed her more freedom and creativity,” she said.

After beginning her writing career, Higgins attended the National University of Ireland in Galway where she earned diplomas in women’s studies and the Irish language, which few Irish know because it was outlawed from 1690 to 1829 by the English.

Higgins has read her poetry at many universities, including Yale University and the University of Oxford, as well as many prisons.

“(Prison readings) can be tough and scary, but it depends on the grouping,” Higgins said. “If it’s political prisoners, it’s different because they’re informed.”

Higgins held a writing workshop with a group of Irish Republican Army prisoners.Elizabeth Fletcher Brown, administrative assistant of the English department, said Higgins’ poetry is earthy and contemporary.

“She’s lived a very working class life in Ireland and she writes about what she knows,” Brown said.

Steele describes Higgins poetry as “a social and political commentary.”

According to Higgins’ Web Site, (www.ritaannhiggins.com), her work is “a poetic response to the Galway and Ireland in which she grew up.”

Higgins will also lecture and read poetry to one of Steele’s English classes, which has prepared a list of 40 questions to ask her.

“This is great for English majors, because you can read people’s poetry but you don’t experience the full emotion of it until you have it read to you by the author,” said Shalene Kelly, a junior English major.

Sarah McClellan
sarahlmac@hotmail.com

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