It's been a while

School has been wonderful but busy.  From the workload to the myriad activities, I've found very little time to write.  However, there are a couple quick things I want to talk about.

Last Saturday, we finished out orientation by participating in a program called "Experience Chicago Through Service.  This optional activity, attended by over half of the incoming class, was part of the school's outreach into the community.  My group, and several others, went to an elementary school on the South Side of Chicago -- a 99% African American, 93% reduced or free lunch elementary school -- and repainted the crumbling walls.  Unfortunately, we painted it a hideous shade of blue (they have poor choice in school colors, I guess), but it was much appreciated.  

I spent some time this week with Students for Barack Obama registering voters on campus-- I only did a little bit because I got sick, but I heard rumor that our drive alone registered somewhere over 200 kids.  Which was heartening.

Also, we spent Saturday in Gary, Indiana registering voters and canvassing for Obama. We took the train down from Chicago and found something like 500 volunteers working the Gary office.  Really interesting city-- extremely poor (at least where we were), 90% black, will go huge for Obama. The only problem is that in past elections turnout has been abysmally low. How low? 15% in 2004!

The campaign hopes and thinks that it can bring that number up-- already, registrations are pouring in at a rate of hundreds a day, and the Obama folks are organizing a massive absentee-ballot/early voting drive to counteract the restrictive voter ID laws in Indiana. It's sad though-- the state Republican party sued and managed to get the early voting locations in the black neighborhood shut down, so now people who want to vote early have to drive 45 minutes South, away from where their jobs are North of the city in Chicago. It's disgraceful that an American political party can openly base its tactics on voter suppression.

Anyway, I need to run to SoSc right now.

peace