It was a breezy afternoon when Brittany Dismond, 19, walked down the street from her Mizzou residence hall and registered to vote.

As tunes such as a jazzy version of “I’m Sorry, Ms. Jackson” filled the air, multiple students stopped off at the Tiger Plaza to register to vote and try their chances in a raffle put on by the Mizzou Students for Obama Kick-Off. At a table in front of the Tiger Fountain, strewn with Obama stickers and forms, Dismond filled out her information and earned the right to her very own “I Registered to Vote Today!” sticker.

“I’ve been wanting to register for a long time,” Dismond said, smiling with her new prize.

However, Dismond didn’t seem to be the only one putting her registration off. Sporting his Obama tee and buttons, Dan Stribling, a junior at Mizzou, helped multiple people gain their ability to vote in the upcoming election, regardless of party affiliation. Although the group clearly showed support for the reelection of the President, anyone could feel free to take a picture with Barack’s cardboard cutout or wear a sticker.

One of the speakers, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Candidate, Judy Baker, even went so far as to give the Republicans a little credit.

“In Missouri in 2003, we got an ass kicking,” Baker admitted to a group of approximately 30 students. However, she told the group that as students, they would be the backbone of the campaign. “We have enough people in Missouri to elect Obama,” she encouraged them.

As the students sat in soft grass facing the white dome of Jesse Hall, Baker gave them some choice words on Obama’s opponent, Mitt Romney.

“We’ll give him credit for creating jobs,” Baker said. “…In China and India!”

Smiling at her clever outsourcing joke, Baker also poked fun at the Republicans for voter ID legislation and Donald Trump. In closing, she posed an important question to the students, the one that the campaign had been longing to hear the answer to: “Are you IN?!” she asked them.

One person clapped and the rest seemed unsure of what to do. When given a second round at the question, the group aced it and clapped wholeheartedly.

Encouraging involvement in programs like “Operation Vote” and gottaregister.com, the second speaker, Nico Probst, an official for the Obama campaign offices in Chicago, stated his reasons for being politically active.

“I have a brother who’s gay and he texted me, ‘you cannot let this guy…lose,’” Probst said. “…This election is the most important of your lifetime.”

Despite one passerby who shouted, “Ron Paul 2012!” at the group, the audience appeared to be attentive to the message of the organization.

Quoting President John F. Kennedy, Probst left the group with one last supporting message: “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”

Filed under: Elections, National Government, National Politics, Politics