Furr, Davis Stepping Out to Promote Early Voting

Two schools plan parades, speeches, musical celebrations to get the word out

October 19, 2012


Furr Voter Rally Preps - Images by Web Team

Two schools are thinking big to get the word out about early voting in this year’s general election on Nov. 6, which will decide the next president and HISD’s school bond.

Davis and Furr high schools will both host events that involve not only their students, teachers and principals, but the community as a whole.

Furr will kick off a political rally at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, at the school. Principal Bertie Simmons said the school’s entire courtyard will be draped with red, white, and blue. There will be a choir and band playing patriotic music, cheers, and student speeches.

The speeches will encourage parents to vote early, and others will focus on the candidates of their choice. The HISD bond will also be featured, and there will be barbecue and snow cones served. Following the celebration, there will be a parade through the Songwood neighborhood with posters and shouts of “Vote Early!”

“Our students have been working really hard on the speeches that they are going to be giving, Simmons said. “I am going to be wearing a vest full of political buttons I have been collecting for the last 50 years—and there is a big one that says vote early.”

At Davis, the school is preparing a Vote Early parade at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct 22.  Students—including band members, cheerleaders, and ROTC members—will be marching a half mile to the early voting site, and about 80 Davis students are set to cast their ballots at the event. Davis alumni and parents will join in the celebration.

Principal Jaime Castaneda said the parade will include youngsters from Ketelsen Elementary and Marshall Middle School, who will march in the parade and cheer along the parade route. A mariachi band from Davis will play when the crowd gets to the voting site. He said he hopes the event draws members of the community to come out and vote early.

“I used to teach social studies, and I have always believed that it is our duty to educate our students and our community,” Castaneda said, noting that the event is also an effort to inform the public that the area’s early voting location is now Holy Name Catholic Church (1920 Marion St.)

Davis HS has partnered with Mi Familia Vota to host a phone bank on Friday afternoon to call more than 1,500 registered voters in the area to inform them of early voting and invite them to the parade.