100 Percent of IU Student-Athletes on Ten Programs Registered to Vote As Part of Big Ten Voter Registration Initiative
10/5/2020 3:00:00 PM | General
Bloomington, Indiana –Indiana University's student-athletes will be heard from in November.
Ten IU Athletics' programs recently announced that 100 percent of their student-athletes have registered to vote in the Nov. 3, 2020, election. Several other IU Athletics programs are closing in on 100 percent registration, with today serving as the final day for Indiana residents to register to vote in next month's election.
The IU programs that have already reached the 100 percent benchmark are Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Football, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Women's Soccer, Men's Tennis, Water Polo, Softball and Rowing.
IU's voter registration efforts are part of the Big Ten Voter Registration Initiative announced by Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren in June. The non-partisan, conference-wide initiative encourages student-athletes to take part in the electoral process. As part of the initiative, Indiana University's Excellence Academy has been offering IU student-athletes ongoing programming and resources to inform them about how to get information on and evaluate officeholders and candidates, as well as logistics on how to register to vote and vote.
"I am proud of our students, who expressed a strong desire to have their voices heard through the electoral process," IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson said. "I'm also appreciative of Commissioner Warren for his leadership in the formation of this conference-wide initiative to encourage all of our students to be informed and to fulfill this important civic duty."
Led by Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator Mattie White and Director of Leadership and Life Skills Lisa Winters, Indiana University Athletics' Excellence Academy has worked closely with the Big Ten Conference on its voter registration initiative since it was announced in June.
"This non-partisan registration initiative serves as a wonderful way to empower our students and show them that their voices can and should matter," White said. "Encouraging our students to participate in the electoral process has been a focal point for Commissioner Warren, and we are extremely pleased to see how energized and involved our students have been."
Women's Soccer is one of the ten IU programs that had all of its student-athletes complete the registration process either in Indiana or their home states. One of those student-athletes is Melanie Forbes, a senior who has dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
"We live in a society governed by a democracy, which by definition is a 'government by the people,'" Forbes said. "If we want our government to represent us, we need to provide our input and the best way to do that is to vote."
Ten IU Athletics' programs recently announced that 100 percent of their student-athletes have registered to vote in the Nov. 3, 2020, election. Several other IU Athletics programs are closing in on 100 percent registration, with today serving as the final day for Indiana residents to register to vote in next month's election.
The IU programs that have already reached the 100 percent benchmark are Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Football, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Women's Soccer, Men's Tennis, Water Polo, Softball and Rowing.
IU's voter registration efforts are part of the Big Ten Voter Registration Initiative announced by Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren in June. The non-partisan, conference-wide initiative encourages student-athletes to take part in the electoral process. As part of the initiative, Indiana University's Excellence Academy has been offering IU student-athletes ongoing programming and resources to inform them about how to get information on and evaluate officeholders and candidates, as well as logistics on how to register to vote and vote.
"I am proud of our students, who expressed a strong desire to have their voices heard through the electoral process," IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson said. "I'm also appreciative of Commissioner Warren for his leadership in the formation of this conference-wide initiative to encourage all of our students to be informed and to fulfill this important civic duty."
Led by Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator Mattie White and Director of Leadership and Life Skills Lisa Winters, Indiana University Athletics' Excellence Academy has worked closely with the Big Ten Conference on its voter registration initiative since it was announced in June.
"This non-partisan registration initiative serves as a wonderful way to empower our students and show them that their voices can and should matter," White said. "Encouraging our students to participate in the electoral process has been a focal point for Commissioner Warren, and we are extremely pleased to see how energized and involved our students have been."
Women's Soccer is one of the ten IU programs that had all of its student-athletes complete the registration process either in Indiana or their home states. One of those student-athletes is Melanie Forbes, a senior who has dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
"We live in a society governed by a democracy, which by definition is a 'government by the people,'" Forbes said. "If we want our government to represent us, we need to provide our input and the best way to do that is to vote."
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