Students at Stanislaus State were star struck Wednesday as the university hosted actors Kendrick Sampson of “The Vampire Diaries,” “Gracepoint,” and “How to Get Away with Murder” and Max Carver from “Desperate House Wives,” “Teen Wolf,” and “The Leftovers” in an effort to encourage students to register to vote in the upcoming election.
“We’re here really to encourage young students and young voters to register and make sure they’re politically involved, informed and active,” said Carver. “We want our generation to have a voice, for it to be a diverse chorus, and for people to be really interested in politics because it’s our government at the end of the day.”
The event was held by Stanislaus County for Bernie Sanders with assistance from #FeelTheBern Turlock, but according to SCBS Co-founder Mike Bowden, the event was not just about promoting Sanders.
“It was more of a get registered, get involved event,” said Bowden. “While we were promoting Bernie, we were also trying to engage the students in the voting process.”
The registration booth, which was set up in the Stanislaus State quad area, gave students not only the chance to make their voices heard in November, but also the opportunity to ask volunteers questions about the election and inquire about specific candidates’ stances on different issues.
The event saw nearly 100 Stanislaus State students register to vote, and around 50 signed up to volunteer for the Sanders campaign. Volunteer Anna Powers credited the large groups gathering at the booth to Sampson and Carver’s infectious star power.
“It was great to have stars from shows that a lot of college students watch,” said Powers.
As students waited in line to take pictures with the two actors, many filled out voter registration forms to pass the time. Powers described the event as a win-win for the students and SCBS, while Bowden emphasized the importance of the younger generation’s vote.
“The older generation really seems to mess things up,” said Bowden. “It’s the millennials who are either going to make or break this campaign, which is one of the reasons we targeted the university.”
Sampson and Carver are two of countless celebrities who endorse Sanders, traveling from university to university in hopes of gathering more registered voters, as well as Sanders sympathizers.
“We’re out here registering voters, making sure that people know that their voice is important and their vote is important,” said Sampson.
After they wrapped up at Stanislaus State, Sampson and Carver travelled to Fresno State – the next stop on their tour of California’s college campuses.
