Office of Public Relations
Missouri Baptist University
One College Park Drive
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141-8698
314.392.2307 / fax 314.392.2265
www.mobap.edu / pr@mobap.edu
For Immediate Release
RE: Lead
Lead
June 19, 2006
Dressed in a black suit, Kara Christian quickly and confidently walked down a crowded fourth-floor hallway inside the Missouri State Capitol on a cloudy March afternoon in Jefferson City.
| Year | Votes Cast by 18-24 Year-olds | Turnout 18-24 Year-olds | Voted Cast by 18-29 year-olds | Turnout 18-29 year-olds | Votes Cast by voters 30 and older | Turnout by voters 30 and older |
| 1972 | 12.2 | 52% | 20.7 | 55% | 65 | 70% |
| 1976 | 11.4 | 44% | 20.5 | 49% | 66.2 | 67% |
| 1980 | 11.2 | 43% | 20.7 | 48% | 72.3 | 71% |
| 1984 | 11.4 | 44% | 22 | 49% | 79.8 | 71% |
| 1988 | 9.2 | 40% | 18.5 | 44% | 83.7 | 69% |
| 1992 | 10.4 | 49% | 20 | 52% | 93.7 | 72% |
| 1996 | 7.9 | 36% | 15.6 | 40% | 89.4 | 64% |
| 2000 | 8.6 | 36% | 15.9 | 40% | 95 | 65% |
| 2004 | 11.6 | 47% | 20.1 | 49% | 105.6 | 68% |
| Source:The 2004 Youth Vote, CivicYouth.org | ||||||
“Well, I’ve sat in on a senate hearing, filed a bill and have written a few press releases,” said Kara, a MBU sophomore majoring in business, as she approached the office of a state representative. “Oh yeah, this morning I got my picture taken with Gov. Blunt. That was pretty exciting.”
Exciting indeed.
In the midst of gobs of pushy, over-zealous lobbyists, seasoned politicians and daunting age-old buildings, twenty-one-year-old MBU sophomore is by all accounts holding her own in Missouri’s most politically fierce town.
In a move that she hopes will spawn a life of public service, Kara is spending the 93rd General Assembly session as an intern for Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City.
Kara discovered the internship opportunity through the Conservative Legacy Foundation, a non-profit agency that provides, scholarships, training and internships for students that believe in the organization’s platform. Until the session ends in May, Kara is living in Jefferson City, spending her days and nights actively participating in the state’s lawmaking process.
“I think there is really a need for our voice as Christians to be heard in the political process,” Kara said. “Today, more than ever, laws are being formed that directly affect the way we live. It’s critical to become engaged in this process.”
According to statistics, Kara, a St. Charles County resident, is a minority.
Despite Kara’s impassioned view, the majority of the Kara’s peers apparently feel disenfranchised with the political process. In fact, only forty-seven percent of registered voters in the eighteen to twenty-four year old demographic voted in the 2004 election, compared to sixty-six percent of registered voters twenty-five and older.
It’s a statistic young political activists, like Kara, can hardly fathom.
From abortion issues and Medicaid cuts to tax hikes and speed-camera bans, important issues everyday surface inside the chambers of the Missouri Capitol, Kara said.
“We have the ability to form the laws that are being created,” Kara said. “It is hard for me to understand how people just don’t want anything to do with that. If you want the world to be different then you have to participate.”
Kara is optimistic her time spent in Jefferson City will, at the very least, provide her with some of the resources and knowledge needed to pursue a career in a field that she knows can change the world.
After all, she has seen laws transform lives time and time again this semester from a front-row seat in the chambers of the State Capitol.
“This has just been an incredible experience,” Kara said. “I’ve learned invaluable lessons and have been able to witness so many eye-opening experiences.”
Editor’s Note: This is the third feature in a series of stories about how MBU constituents are changing the world. Check back on June 26 to read about an MBU alumnus who is leading a public high school in midtown Saint Louis.
Volunteer opportunities
In conjunction with the Missouri Secretary of State, The Wolfner Library volunteer program offers opportunities for people to help record books for Missourians who cannot read those books in print. After a book is recorded and goes through a rigorous quality assurance process, it is put into the circulation system for our patrons to check out.
For more information, contact the office of the Missouri Secretary of State:
Deborah K. Stroup
Coordinator of Volunteers
Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Office of the Secretary of State
600 W. Main St., PO Box 387
Jefferson City, MO 65102
What’s your outdoor passion? Is it gardening? Bird watching? Fishing and hunting? The only thing more fun than doing your favorite outdoor activity is sharing your passion for it with others. It’s one reason why so many Missourians have become conservation volunteers. Some volunteers are able to work several hours a month, some only a few. You get to choose the level of commitment that works with your schedule, skills and interests.
For more information about becoming a conservation volunteer, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation:
Online: www.missouriconservation.org/volunteer
Phone: (573) 751-4115
Be an intern at the White House.
In addition to normal office duties, interns attend weekly lectures, volunteer at special events, participate in tours and contribute to a community service project in the Washington, D.C. area. White House Internships are unpaid positions and participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing. Approximately 100 interns are chosen each spring, summer, and fall to participate in this highly competitive program.
For more information, contact the internship coordinator at the White House
Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html
Contact: Karen Race, deputy director and intern coordinator
E-mail: intern_application@whitehouse.gov
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Missouri Baptist University is a premier Christian university in Saint Louis, offering graduate and undergraduate studies in over thirty specialized fields and nine degrees. MBU's education and fine arts programs are nationally known in addition to business, religion, administration of justice, and more. MBU is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Missouri with an enrollment of over 4,500 students at five locations in the bi-state region — West County, Lincoln County, Jefferson County, Franklin County and the new Illinois extension at Lewis and Clark Community College.
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