Apathy mostly reigns in Penn student body on eve of vote

While much of the city is tuning in to today's hotly contested mayoral elections, most students on Penn's campus seem to be tuning out. Despite partisan attempts through e-mails, posters and intense voter registration drives to generate interest in both Democratic candidate John Street and Republican Sam Katz, many Penn students questioned yesterday-- especially those from outside the Philadelphia area -- said they just don't care about the election. "I'm not voting," College sophomore Jennifer Wang said. "[The race] just doesn't seem to affect me that much." And College junior Marc Keller conceded that he has no interest in the race even though he is from Philadelphia. "I suppose that I should but I never followed it carefully and I don't want to vote uninformed," he said. Fifth-year Wharton senior John Lee admitted that he was not even paying attention to the race. "I didn't even know there were elections," he said. "I'm just a student. I'll be out of here in two years." But at least a small yet vocal number of Penn students did seem to care about who will succeed popular Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. Katz has clearly generated more enthusiasm on campus throughout the campaign. A well-organized Penn for Katz committee has spent much of the semester registering voters and convincing otherwise neutral or apathetic students that their votes are important. "He's got a vision for the city -- business incentives, a lower wage tax and plans to stop urban migration," said Wharton sophomore Stephen Mykijewycz, a member of the College Republicans. "Rendell has done a lot. Republicans and Democrats will say that," he said. "But Street will do nothing but be content with the status quo." College junior Alisha Hersh, who said she typically votes for Democrats, said she plans to cross party lines and vote for Katz. "He has a more wide-based interest in Philadelphia as a whole," she said, noting that she felt Street is biased against things that don't directly relate to race, class and work issues. And others pointed to Street's apparent lack of support from prominent local Democrats, including his longtime friend and primary election opponent John White. "I think it's significant that Street's lifelong friend and fellow Democrat is supporting Katz," said one College junior. Engineering graduate student Joel Esposito, however, said that his vote was going to Street because of the former City Council president's experience and his opposition to Katz's school voucher plan. "Schools that need change are the schools in the [state's] poorest districts," he said, noting that the plan tends to favor more affluent areas while ignoring Philadelphia's public education system. And Wharton senior Sommer Nelson stressed the importance of continuing the city's Democratic tradition, which has gone unbroken since the last Republican mayor left office in 1952. "We need to keep Democratic control of the city," she said, especially in light of of the upcoming presidential and senatorial elections.

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