|
GWU alumna Alexis Rice kicked off the project around graduation time in May, after spending her senior year working on a thesis about how young people interact politically via the Web. When she found that Presidential candidates direct very little in the way of thought-provoking information at her college-age contemporaries, she decided there was a space that needed to be filled. After rounding up some of her college buddies and encouraging them to put their heads together, GenerationVote was born on the Fourth of July. GenerationVote's launch was well-timed -- especially if you accept the view that many young people need some encouragement to become politically active. Less than half of the eligible voters under 25 are planning to vote in the 2000 election, according to a survey of 813 young voters released in September by MTV's Choose or Lose and the Kaiser Family Foundation. With apathy a big issue on many campuses, GenerationVote is beginning to generate the sort of attention that will help draw traffic to the site, which is getting only about 400 visitors a day so far. MIDNIGHT OIL. For Editor-In-Chief Rice and CEO Ben Getto, who have other, full-time responsibilities, this site is a labor of love. In fact, every member of the staff either goes to school or works 9-to-5 at another job. Then they hunker down until the wee hours editing stories by volunteer writers. Thanks to their efforts, there's plenty to read and do on the Web site. Stories by and for college-age people and young professionals are laid out against a stars-and-stripes design that gives this startup a professional look. Through a partnership with Election.com, the site also offers voter registration. No big deal, you say? Well, this was the easiest registration I ever completed. In mere minutes, I entered a change of address and ensured that I would no longer receive an absentee ballot. Now I'm all set for Nov. 7. There are also some nifty interactive features. One is a link to the Speakout.com site, where you can test your political mindset against the candidates'. I discovered I am a "moderate populist," and that Vice-President Al Gore and I make quite a pair -- at least when it comes to issues ranging from gun control to Social Security. The neat thing about this game is the educational value. With every question on a particular issue comes an explanation of all sides of that particular debate. For example, visitors might learn that the "Three Strikes" rule can put repeat offenders behind bars for life. While its goal is admirable, GenerationVote could use some fixing up. Editing mistakes detract from the professionalism. And at times, I felt as if I were scanning the opinion page of The Hatchet, GWU's independent student newspaper. Many of the bylines, especially the early ones, belong to campus figures known both for their letters to the editor and op-ed pieces. While that's not a huge problem, the creators do need to be careful about offering one-dimensional attitudes. Rice says the site has snagged writers from Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, and even a high school student. But the outreach needs to continue, and the GWU insiders must take a backseat. WRESTLING WITH THE ISSUES. The site will have to get better if it's to survive much past the election -- and it suffers by comparison with others advancing the same message. MTV's Choose or Lose site (www.mtv.com/nav/intro_chooseorlose.html), for example, includes tons of stories by college-age people, and lots of photographs and graphics -- things GenerationVote.com sorely lack. With sponsorship from MTV, televised town forums featuring actual candidates, and a bus that tours the country and allows writers to get to know their audience, Choose or Lose won't be giving up the youth-vote throne anytime soon. Even the World Wrestling Federation has stepped into the ring with Smackdown Your Vote (www.wwfvote.com), and the independent Youthvote2000 (www.youthvote2000.org) remains an impressive site. What the folks behind GenerationVote need to figure out is pretty simple: Is the site a high-minded hobby or a real business. Rice hopes to make it an enduring business by signing up corporate sponsors. The site already collects a smattering of revenues from advertisements that appear on the right side of the homepage -- but only if a visitor makes a purchase. Fortunately for the crew, the site doesn't cost much to run. They pay only $7 per month for their server. Getto, who is a GWU junior, also saved money by developing a rapport with other political sites and persuading them to let GenerationVote use some of their features. Despite its flaws, GenerationVote was well worth the visit. But as a GWU alumna, what captivated me most was the drive and resourcefulness of its creators. GWU students, who are sometimes jokingly referred to as "Georgetown rejects" inside the Beltway, have found a way to get their foot in the door and be heard. It remains to be seen if Rice and Getto will make an imprint on the 2000 election and beyond. But they've already scored one for their underdog alma mater. Di Meglio assists in covering business schools for Business Week in New York |
