BOWLING GREEN, KY (8/21/12) – What a difference four years makes.

During the 2008 presidential election, Western Kentucky University’s Political Engagement Project used a bus to spread the message of political activism and civic engagement. During the 2012 election, the WKU project will use Twitter to spread the same messages.

“What’s Your Tag?” is the theme for this fall’s Political Engagement Project activities. Students and others can use @WhatsUrTag and #whatsurtag and to join the Twitter conversation as they follow activities related to the 2012 election.

“We want to connect with this media savvy and social network savvy generation of students,” said Dr. Saundra Ardrey, head of WKU’s Department of Political Science and coordinator of the Political Engagement Project. “What’s Your Tag used to be used by graffiti artists so it has an edgy, subculture meaning that students may not know about. Students know about tagging through social media and Twitter.”

WKU’s freshman class will get the first look at “WhatsUrTag?” activities Thursday evening (Aug. 23) as part of M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan activities. The presentation – “Class of 2016: What’s Your Message for America” – will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Valley on WKU’s campus. The kickoff event will include music, information from political parties, tie-dye T-shirts and more.

WKU students and faculty also will attend the upcoming Republican and Democratic conventions.

Dr. Scott Lasley, associate professor of political science, and five students – Elizabeth Abbott of Vevay, Ind.; Lauren Cherry and Lindsey Conder, both of Louisville; Benjamin Lee of Russell Springs; and Adam Rumohr of Owensboro – will attend the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Aug. 27-31. Dr. Ardrey and student Chelsea Cornett of Bowling Green will attend the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 3-6.

Other “WhatsUrTag” activities scheduled this semester include the following (times and locations haven’t been set on some events):

*Constitution Week activities Sept. 17-21, which will include a “WhatsUrTag?” workshop on the role of graphic and visual art in popular culture.
*National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 25, which will include Rock the Vote, voter registration, information from candidates, music, entertainment and more.
*A visit to the National Constitution Museum in Philadelphia on Oct. 4-7.
*Vice Presidential Debate at Centre College in Danville on Oct. 11.
*Debate Watch activities on WKU’s campus on Oct. 16.
*Freedom Sings, a musical and multimedia presentation about the First Amendment, at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at Van Meter Hall.
*A Life in Politics: John Rowley, a presentation by the WKU graduate and partner in Fletcher Rowley Consulting Firm on Nov. 5.
*Presidential election on Nov. 6.
*Kentucky Engagement Conference, a statewide meeting on community engagement, service learning, civic health, community-based research, and related topics, on Nov. 8-9 at WKU’s Knicely Conference Center.

SurfKY News
Information provided by Western Kentucky University

Copyright © 2012 SurfKY News Group, Inc. all rights reserved.  SurfKY.com is an eNewspaper providing local news FREE to Kentucky 24/7.  Read Statewide Kentucky News, Sports, Obituaries and more from the following Kentucky Counties:  Calloway, Christian, Daviess, Fayette (Lexington), Henderson, Hopkins, Logan, McCracken, Muhlenberg, Warren, and Webster Counties as well as the Kentucky Lakes Area.