After competing for centuries in athletic events and admissions, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania will now compete to see which Ivy League school can convince the highest percentage of its students to vote in the upcoming election.
The chair of Penn's Undergraduate Assembly, senior Wilson Tong, accepted the voting challenge from Dartmouth's Student Body President Molly Bode '09 on Sunday night, and Bode will send an e-mail notifying the campus of the competition soon.
Assembly members will advertise the contest by wearing "Beat Penn" and "Outvote Penn" shirts.
The main goal of the contest, Bode said, is to raise awareness about the election.
"I don't think of this as much of a way to affect someone's choice to vote or not to vote, but as a way to inform people that it's not too late, that you can even register to vote on Election Day," Bode said. "I want to let them know it's their opportunity to determine the future of our country and our generation."
Although she cannot predict the impact the competition will have on voter turnout, Bode said that she hopes it will help convince a few last-minute voters.
"I think it'll be a fun way to get everyone involved," she said. "It's a great way to show our school spirit and show spirit for our country."
After brainstorming ways to increase voter turnout with other Ivy League student body presidents, Bode challenged Tong to the competition. She said she chose Penn because of its political activism and its location in a swing state.
"We [Ivy League student presidents] thought about writing an op-ed all together and submitting it to a major newspaper, but we also wanted change on our own campuses," Bode said.
Vote Clamantis will help sponsor and advertise the competition to encourage Dartmouth students to vote on Nov. 4.
According to the Daily Pennsylvanian, the non-partisan student group Penn Leads the Vote is using Facebook and YouTube to help advertise the contest. Vote Clamantis will also help the Assembly determine how many Dartmouth students vote, though according to Bode the groups are working to finalize the details of the project.
Bode said she hopes an inter-class competition, coordinated by the Class Councils, will also help increase voter turnout.
Bode is collaborating with Tong to determine a prize for the contest, such as a Rock the Vote party for the winning school. The losing school's student body president will have to wear the rival school's colors for a week, according to Bode.
"I look forward to see the outcome," Bode said. "I hope Dartmouth will be proud."
