Constitution Day

By Dustin Eder

ORLANDO, Fla.:
Constitution Day situation raises Constitution debate. The Constitution Day celebration on Valencia's east campus became a philosophical power struggle between the Student Government Association and the Valencia Student for Change club when the latter was promoting a candidate at their voter registration table during the event.

Behind a display at a table near the corner of the pavilion, Zack Pollock of the brand new, Valencia Students for Change(VSFC) club was talking with Allistair Smith, president of the Student Government Association (SGA). Smith, on the phone with what Pollock called “Higher Bosses” , ended the conversation instructing Pollock to stop actively promoting a specific candidate during the holiday as there were complaints of it alienating some people.

Pollock consequently flipped the many pamphlets displaying Barack Obama smiling, onto their backs, now displaying black text and continued to register voters.

When asked who he spoke to regarding the situation, Smith replied “I want that to be strictly confidential”.

Pollock, frustrated by the event said “if people feel alienated then they need to make their own group”

Student Development Coordinator and SGA Advisor, Jerald Jones, who helped plan and oversee the event said of VSFC "they were not authorized to promote a candidate during the Holiday” and “they should not have been doing it, only registering people to vote.”

The celebration ran from 12pm to 4pm, included a speaker from the Supervisor of Elections office who spoke on the importance of voting as well as maintaining proper voting status, a rotating SGA member dressed as Uncle Sam, free food, and pocket constitutions.