C-SPAN’s Campaign 2016 bus rolled onto the main campus of Jackson State University on Election Day with its interactive, multimedia-learning center.
Parked near the Student Center, the vehicle allowed visitors to climb aboard to explore presidential candidates, political events and footage from the campaign trail.
[pullquote align=”right”]”C-SPAN is showing the value of HBCUs and why African-Americans’ votes matter.” — Jasmine Jackson, junior political science major[/pullquote]Dr. Evelyn Leggette, provost and senior vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, was among numerous administrators, students, faculty and staff impressed with the mobile information source.
“C-SPAN’s bus is a great resource for up-to-date news with several screens showcasing valuable information from various points of views, including election campaigning and weather. This visit is great for JSU’s campus because it ties in with programs that relate to journalism, media studies and government,” she said.
Heath Neiderer, marketing manager for C-SPAN’s Washington, D.C., office, said “C-SPAN decided to come to Jackson State University a couple months ago after reaching out to Comcast Cable and Mississippi Cable Association. “In our visits, we invite local classes to learn about our campaign resources and how they can access C-SPAN on their mobile devices. For those who can’t see the bus, they still can access our interactive multimedia presentations that we use around the country to inform people about our programs and resources,” Neiderer said.
His colleague, marketing representative La’Shawna Saint-Preux, said the bus program has been around about 22 years. “The most important thing is that our mission is to make sure people become informed citizens. The vehicle has more than 220,000 hours of video that can be used to compile school reports and learn about local governments and C-SPAN in one place.”
Jeremy Anderson, a junior mass communications major from Baton Rouge, La., was fascinated by the visit.
“The interactive screens offer a wide range of information about the 2016 campaign. It has a really nice presentation. You can tell that technology is really affecting politics these days. Twenty years ago buses didn’t have such high-tech media technology and interactive methods to encourage student involvement in elections.”
Miss JSU Charence Higgins was wowed by the experience, too.
“It provided insight on political topics and different ways that we can get involved in our communities and other places throughout the country.”
With the general election this week, Higgins said C-SPAN’s campaign bus generates interest in the electoral process. “There are 46 million young people across the United States and only 39 million seniors. If all the young people were to go out and exercise their vote, we could really make an impact,” she said. “I must tell students to get involved in elections that we often take for granted. In reality, we can make a positive change.”
JSU student Jasmine Jackson, a political science major from Oxford, Ala., agreed that C-SPAN’s presence was impactful.
“One thing that really caught my attention is its upcoming program on presidential first ladies, their image and their influence. Oftentimes, they are overlooked despite doing a lot of great work. And, by being at JSU, C-SPAN is showing the value of HBCUs and why African-Americans’ votes matter.”
After visits to a local Boys & Girls Club and an Election Night party in downtown Jackson, the bus planned to head to Hattiesburg, Gulfport, Biloxi and New Orleans.
