A clash between volunteers conducting voter registration drives and administrative policy enforcers has both sides explaining themselves.
Diana Lowry, a graduate student in English, complained to a reporter Wednesday that Danny Armitage, the associate dean of students, and the "administration" were attempting to keep out both voter registration efforts in residence halls and an appearance from Rep. Harold Ford Jr. who spoke at Richardson Towers Saturday.
Lowry, who set up a voter registration table in Richardson Towers South, said she was associated with the Shelby County Democratic Party, but displayed no visual aid depicting political partisanship.
"The way the dean put it, the issue is the persons' right not to vote," Lowry said. "If any of us were to get up for one minute, they'd take this table away."
Not so, said Armitage, who laid out the rules for displays and student-sponsored events in University of Memphis residence halls.
"We didn't oppose Harold Ford Jr.Ãs coming to speak at Richardson Towers," Armitage said. "We were notified of the College Democrats' intent to invite Ford to speak on very short notice. We were told at about three in the afternoon on Thursday about Ford's appearance Saturday morning."
Financial and scheduling troubles affect events organized on short notice, Armitage said, especially when food is involved.
"When food is involved, we have to schedule housekeepers and additional staffers to make sure everything operates smoothly," Armitage said.
William E. Porter, assistant vice president for student affairs, chimed in on the support Residence Life has offered campus residents.
"Voter registration forms were delivered to all students living in residence halls," Porter said. "There have been well over 50 voter registration drives since the beginning of the semester."
"We have to respect certain parameters concerning activities in university residence halls. In years past we have heard complaints from students wanting some degree of privacy and quiet, even in the lobby areas."
Although Ford did speak in the Richardson Towers game room and allowed voter registration in the dorms, Armitage and Porter acknowledged stretching the rules to permit the speaker and the registration table, a move Armitage said could backfire.
"When we start making special accommodations for people, that forces us to provide the same for others to create fairness," Armitage said.
Despite numerous get-out-the-vote efforts in anticipation of a competitive presidential election, College Democrats President Jim Vandiveer said The U of M hasn't gone far enough, arguing some students need assistance filling out the forms to avoid being turned away at the polls.
"If out-of-town students list the address as a postal account, they will either be turned down voting at stations or their application will likely be thrown out," Vandiveer said. "You can list your dorm address as your place of residence."
Vandiveer advised students to list the university phone numbers as opposed to their parents' numbers. Students listing their dorm rooms in residence halls as their place of residence on their application must also list their dorm phone numbers in order for the application to be valid.
All students wanting to place flyers, posters, or to set up a table anywhere on campus should go to the reservations office located in the University Center.
