Northern Colorado Senate hosts Rock the Vote
Published: Monday, October 22, 2012
Updated: Monday, October 22, 2012 02:10
 "Photo: Samantha Wyckoff | The Mirror")
Samantha Wyckoff | The Mirror
Students dance to music provided by local DJ Large Child Friday in the parking lot outside the University Center.
With the upcoming election less than 20 days away, the Rock the Vote campaign capitalized on the moment’s increasing anticipation by emphasizing the importance of a basic American freedom: the right to elect leaders of the people’s choice.
Becca Hoy, UNC Student Senate’s director of legislative affairs and the host of Rock the Vote, used several avenues to promote the event, including Facebook campaigns and posters.
“The most important thing about this event is to give students as many opportunities as possible to get involved in election season,” Hoy said.
MTV, masters of marketing to young adults, served as the primary sponsor of Rock the Vote. MTV funding a UNC event marks a huge milestone for the future of promoting the university across the nation.
The University Center parking lot became a center for social interaction Friday as a huge bus worthy of any rockstar sat in the middle of everything. Various tents full of games and prizes surrounded the bus. Local Denver DJ Large Child provided music throughout the day.
For many college students, this is their first time voting in a presidential election. Rock the Vote appeals to young voters by incorporating effective marketing tactics. The most important factor in planning an event like this is making it fun.
College students have also been known as a demographic, on the whole, to rarely turn down free stuff. Mio provided free samples of its flavor-enhancing drink mix. By liking the official Mio Facebook page, a person could get a free pair of sunglasses or a bottle of Mio.
Video games are a popular hobby for college students, as well, and Rock the Vote used this knowledge and took it a step further. The Ubisoft tent at Rock the Vote promoted Assassin’s Creed 3, a yet-to-be-released chapter of a popular game series, along with free T-shirts and inflatable balloon axes.
Planning and excellent timing contributed to the event’s success. Last Friday was also the first day of family and friends weekend. The open-door policy of the event allowed visitors to stop by for fun and free “swag.” More importantly, it showed people that election season is very important to students and faculty around campus.
Not everyone has registered to vote this year, though. Hoy said that choice is their own to make, but that abstaining from voting does not effectively utilize the nation’s democratic style of government.
“That’s their own decision, and that choice is considered part of the freedom America offers,” Hoy said.
is a member of the 
