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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2014
Fewer Arizona voters at the polls
VOLUME 108 • ISSUE 15
TURNING DOWN
Sports - 7
BY CHRISTIANNA SILVA The Daily Wildcat
Voters are showing up less each year. This year in the Arizona primary elections, 27 percent of voters participated. This is 3 percent lower than the last non-presidential voting year, leading to issues with recounting votes and relying on a larger variety of voters to head to the polls, including university-aged people. “It’s a bit of a disappointment,” said Secretary of State Ken Bennett in a statement to The Arizona Republic, referring to the lack of attendance. A smaller pool of voters leads to issues with re-counting. This is a problem because there must be a margin of fewer than 20 votes to receive an automatic recount. Burnell Smith, who lost the GOP nomination for Legislative District 15 seat by 32 votes, said in a statement to The Arizona Republic that he plans to have an automatic recount — due to the small amount of voters who showed up at the polls for the primaries. Jacob Branderhorst, a history sophomore, said that while he isn’t registered to vote, he plans to get registered to vote this November. “It’s a right that I’ve been bestowed by those Americans who came before me,” Branderhorst said, “and I plan to execute that right in honor of them and to voice my opinion.” He added that he doesn’t think many college students vote because they think their votes don’t matter. He also said that if all college students made voting a priority, together they could make a “massive difference.” Many people aged 18 to 24 aren’t voting. According to a government census, in 1964, 50.9 percent of eligible voters from ages 18 to 24 voted, while in 2012, only 38 percent voted. This was only during presidential voting years, when voters come out to the polls in larger numbers. Nathan Lease, a physiology sophomore, said that he isn’t
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Freshman Nick Wilson whacks Wolf Pack Arts & Life - 10
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA MARIE SASNETT/THE DAILY WILDCAT
CAMPUS HEALTH SERVICE is working to curb binge-drinking among students. Alcohol consumption rates at the UA have declined, according to Campus Health.
Alcohol consumption rates have declined among UA students in recent years, UA Campus Health has worked on strategies to curb binge-drinking at the university BY KACIE CLAUDEL The Daily Wildcat
The UA student population is reaching an all-time high, but alcohol consumption rates have declined significantly, according to the Campus Health Service. Across the nation, students can be pressured into drinking, and a lack of education about alcohol consumption and risk reduction strategies can contribute to binge drinking. The UA offers programs that continue to grow, such as Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students. Campus Health uses a broad strategy to address alcohol consumption. Since 2002,
substantial reductions in alcohol confirms that alcohol-related consumption have been seen protective strategies, such as through data collected in the having a designated driver or setting a y e a r l y limit on the Health and When people number of We l l n e s s drinks an Survey, think of college, individual according they think of will drink to David movies like in one Salafsky, ‘American Pie’ night, has director or ‘Animal increased of Health House.’ among UA Promotion — Travis Roser, students. & engineering sophomore According Preventive to Campus Services at Campus Health. The survey is Health, between 2002 and 2012, administered to a random sample statistics highlighted the progress of classes each spring semester. Campus Health research DRINKING, 2
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UA ranked as one of healthiest colleges BY BRANDI WALKER The Daily Wildcat
The UA was recently ranked by the Greatist Team from www.greatist. com as one of the top 25 healthiest colleges. “I think [health] is a big part of our identity ,” said David Salafsky , director of Health Promotion & Preventive Services at the UA . “I think people look at the U of A and know that this is a place where you can thrive both academically and socially, in terms of health and wellness.” The UA was also recognized for the programs offered by Health Promotion & Preventative Services. There are a variety of available programs, including those on sexual health, drug and alcohol use, and nutrition . “It’s nice to be recognized, especially when someone is looking internationally for things that set this campus apart,” Salafsky said. Counseling and Psych
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Our Voice, Our Vote informs students
Aussie exchange student chats about experience Opinions - 4
Voting matters: Independents swing elections
Opinions - 4 It means voting does matter, especially Independent votes.
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Weather
BY ADRIANA ESPINOSA The Daily Wildcat
REBECCA MARIE SASNETT/THE DAILY WILDCAT
ALI BUCKMORE, a neuroscience junior, and Emily Guindon, a fitness trainer, practice acroyoga on the UA campus on Dec. 1. AcroYoga, or acrobatic yoga, is a practice routine that uses techniques from yoga and acrobatics.
In an effort the get more students involved in the upcoming midterm elections, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona has put together a campaign called Our Voice, Our Vote that launches this week. The Our Voice, Our Vote campaign is a three-part process that will allow students to become more informed about the candidates running for the Congressional and State seats in the Midterm Elections in November. This campaign is a way to encourage students to let their voice be heard and to get involved, because the results of the elections could directly affect UA students, according to Issac Ortega, president of ASUA. “We have 41,000 people here now, and that is such a huge part of the population,” Ortega said. “The U of A can swing an election easily, and we really want to make sure our voice is heard, because it’s super important and critical to everything that the UA does.” The Our Voice, Our Vote campaign is a process that will help students familiarize themselves with the issues they’re are facing and could face in the future.
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sunny Fes, Morocco Kelso, Wash. Kitty, Guyana
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