‘I think if you follow the legal means, it’s such an easy process,’ Florida State student Mia Simon tells MTV News By Gil Kaufman Mitt Romney Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/ AFP/ Getty Images JACKSONVILLE, Florida — There’s a storm raging in Florida over new voter-registration laws that groups such as Rock the Vote claim make it harder for them to sign up new voters . But ask Florida State University student and first-time voter Mia Simon, 19, about those laws, and the political science major will tell you that it’s much ado about nothing. “I have just turned in my forms to become a registered agent with the supervisor of elections, and that means I go through a legal process of handing out the voter registrations and handing them in myself to the supervisor,” said Simon, who added that it is because of the changes to the voter-registration rules that she was inspired to become more involved with the process. “I think if you follow the legal means, it’s such an easy process to fill them out and then you guarantee that they get to the supervisor of elections,” the FSU College Republicans member said. Rock the Vote and the League of Women Voters are among the third-party groups who have sued the state in an effort to get the law overturned. They’ve argued that new provisions that give their organizations just 48 hours to turn in registration forms, the shortening of the early voting period and threats of civil action should the forms not be filled out correctly amount to a breach of their constitutionally protected rights of speech and association even as they fail to give individuals and groups fair notice of how to comply with what they say are the laws’ “confusing and unclear mandates.” Simon said she’s had no problem turning the form in within 48 hours and has found the process “really easy” to follow. “I really think it makes it easier,” she said. “As long as you follow the law, it’s all great.” Considering that she said there are 3.5 million unregistered voters in the state, she is also inspired to get more young voters out to the polls this year and hopes the new laws do what their drafters intended: root out voter fraud. “America stands on the principle of one person, one vote, and this is something that we really need to uphold.” MTV is on the scene in Florida! Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage of the primaries and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the 2012 presidential election season. Related Videos Florida Primary: The Race Is On!
‘The rules are setting up minority and young voters to fail,’ University of South Florida NAACP President Vanity Shields tells MTV News. By Gil Kaufman Vanity Shields Photo: MTV News TAMPA, Florida — It’s fitting that 20-year-old University of South Florida junior Vanity Shields, 20, chose to speak to MTV’s Power of 12 in the shadow of her campus’ Martin Luther King Jr. memorial reflecting pond. Nearly 50 years after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory laws that disenfranchised black voters thanks to the tireless work of the civil-rights giant, Shields is preparing for another voting-rights fight in her state. The president of the NAACP chapter on the USF campus and first-time voter is concerned that a new Florida law , ostensibly aimed at cutting down on voter fraud, might leave many young and African-American voters off the rolls this presidential election year . “I personally feel that the rules are setting up minority and young voters to fail,” the health sciences major said of the new law, which carries heavy penalties for third-party organizations trying to register new voters if they fail to comply with the sometimes-byzantine rules. “Now they have 48 hours to fill out this massive amount of paperwork.” A portion of the new law includes restrictions on community-based voter-registration drives that require anyone registering new voters on behalf of organizations such as Rock the Vote or the League of Women Voters to turn all forms in within 48 hours of obtaining a signature or face unspecified civil penalties. Those two groups have been forced to suspend their voter-registration efforts in Florida this year because, according to a press release announcing a lawsuit seeking to block the new provisions, they “include burdensome administrative requirements, unreasonably tight deadlines for submission for completed forms and unnecessarily harsh penalties for even the slightest delay or mistake.” Shields said the USF NAACP chapter has been very active on the issue and planned a general body meeting called “The Colors of Justice” on Monday (January 30) to discuss the new rules and raise awareness about them. There will also be a voter-awareness rally soon, though she said efforts such as the NAACP’s get-out-the-vote “Souls to the Poll” action from years past has been canceled this year because of new restrictions on registering voters on the Sunday before an election. “I am originally from New Jersey, and Hillsboro County in Tampa is a pre-clearance [area]. … What that means is that people who were previously registered are still able to vote, but with this new law, if Hillsboro County were not pre-clearance, I would have to go back to New Jersey to vote,” said Brianna Simms, 20, the second vice president of the USF NAACP chapter. “As a college student, I don’t have the funds or the time to do that, so that would limit my impact on the country in choosing our next president.” Shields said awareness of the voting issue is pretty low at the moment, but she plans to start posting about it on Twitter and Facebook, distribute fliers and ask her fellow students if they know about the changes. “I feel that our demographic is being targeted and that they’re trying to silence us, but we will not be silenced,” she said. “We will speak our minds and keep our right to vote.” MTV is on the scene in Florida! Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage of the primaries and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the 2012 presidential election season. Related Videos Florida Primary: The Race Is On! Barnstorming The Iowa Caucus With Andrew Jenks
Okay so we’ve heard it all. A white male lecturer who teaches women’s studies has a college course on BeyBey: Beyoncé is known as a performer, fashion designer, Jay-Z’s missus, and arguably the most famous new mom in the world. But should she also be considered a social change agent? Kevin Allred, a doctoral student and lecturer in Rutgers’ Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, where he teaches “Politicizing Beyoncé,” thinks so – though, he says, the artist may not be “political” in the traditional sense of the word. “This isn’t a course about Beyoncé’s political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama’s inauguration weekend,” he says. Rather, the performer’s music and career are used as lenses to explore American race, gender, and sexual politics. Allred pairs Beyoncé’s music videos and lyrics with readings from the Black feminist canon, including the writings of bell hooks, Alice Walker, and even abolitionist Sojourner Truth. “Politicizing Beyoncé” emerged from Allred’s four semesters teaching Women’s Studies 101 at Rutgers, during which he and his students, both male and female, often discussed the thin line Beyoncé walks as a sex kitten-cum-girl power role model. “She certainly pushes boundaries,” Allred says. “While other artists are simply releasing music, she’s creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona.” Course topics include the extent of Beyoncé’s control over her own aesthetic, whether her often half-naked body is empowered or stereotypical, and her more racy performances as her alter ego, “Sasha Fierce.” In-class discussions often lead to other vocalists, including Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Lady Gaga, and contemporary musicians who embrace the soul singing tradition like Adele and the late Amy Winehouse. More academics are beginning to explore race, gender, and sexual politics through popular culture and bring such discourse into their classrooms. Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson offers a similar course, “The Sociology of Hip-Hop: The Theodicy of Jay-Z,” on Beyoncé’s rapper husband. Allred welcomes conversation about the course, particularly from those who question the relevance of intellectual study of pop stars. “It’s important to shift students away from simply being consumers of media toward thinking more critically about what they’re engaging on a regular basis,” he says. “When students don’t respond to theory or dense readings, it’s often easier to see things play out in the world around them.” Thoughts??? More On Bossip! Put On Blast: Amber Rose’s Former Publicist Goes H.A.M. On Twitter! Says She And Yeezy Broke Up Cuz She’s A Lyin’ Thievin’ A$$ Beyotch!!! X-Rated Bangers: The Hottest Black Adult Movie Stars In The Biz…Would You Wife Any Of Them? Part 4 “The Money Shot” Woosah, Woosah: Do You Live In One Of The 10 Most Stressful Cities In America? More To Love: A Gallery Of Plus-Sized Women Making It Rain…Who Would You Wife?
Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, the all-time Division I leader in wins, and who resigned amid the university’s child molestation scandal just months ago, is reportedly near death due to complications from lung cancer. On Saturday, as friends and family were being summoned to State College, Pa., Hospital, a family spokesman said the coach had taken a turn for the worse. Penn State student website Onward State reported that PSU team members were notified of Paterno’s passing via email. However, a Paterno family spokesperson denied the report and his son tweeted that his father “continues to fight.” Known for his “success with honor” motto, thick glasses, rolled-up pants and black cleats, Paterno left an indelible mark on Penn State and college football in general. Joe, 85, has five children with wife Sue and 17 grandchidlren. A Brooklyn native and Brown University graduate, Paterno began coaching the Nittany Lions in 1966 and his tenure stretched to October of this year. In his 46 years as head coach, Paterno holds the all-time Division I record for football coaching wins with a 409-136-3 record and two national titles. After a highly celebrated career and iconic status, Paterno’s career as coach ended as a result of a scandal involving former assistant Jerry Sandusky . Sandusky allegedly sexually assaulted young boys, including a 10-year-old. Paterno was fired over his handling (or lack of handling) of the scandal. Announcing his retirement, he said, “This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.” “I’m sick about it. I didn’t know exactly how to handle it, and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was.” “So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.” In November, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and his health rapidly deteriorated. Though the scandal sullied Paterno’s image in his final days, the coach enjoyed decades of success and reverence on the campus he and his wife helped build. That’s not likely to change anytime soon.
The first lady Michelle Obama turns 48 years old today! Promoting service and working with young people has remained a staple of her career and her interest in the White House, exemplified by her Let’s Move campaign to bring together communities in a nationwide effort to tackle childhood obesity. As Mrs Obama celebrates her birthday today, here are 48 things you didn’t know about about the First Lady: 1. Her nickname is “Miche” (pronounced “Meesh”). 2. Her husband calls her “My Rock” 3. Her father worked the swing shift in the boiler room at Chicago’s water purification plant. 4. She grew up with her older brother, Craig, and parents in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. She shared the living room with her brother, which was separated by a room divider. 5. She and her brother both skipped a year at school – second grade. 6. As a girl, she loved her “Easy-Bake Oven”. 7. Michelle was student council treasurer in high school. 8. Growing up, she practiced playing the piano so much that she had to be told to stop. 9. Although a great athlete, she shied away from competitive sports because, her big brother says, “she hated losing”. 10. Her father died of complications from multiple sclerosis when she was in her 20s. 11. Michelle attended only public schools while growing up in Chicago. 12. She was assigned Barack’s mentor when he came to her Chicago firm for a summer job. 13. Her first impression of Barack wasn’t great; after seeing a photo of him in the law firm directory she decided he had a big nose. 14. She declined Barack’s first invitations to go out on a date, saying it would be inappropriate. 15. Her father and brother had always said you could tell a lot about someone’s character on the court, so before agreeing to date Barack, she asked her brother to take him on on the basketball court. 16. Her university dissertation was entitled, “Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community.” 17. Santita Jackson, Jesse Jackson’s daughter and Michelle’s high school classmate, sang at the wedding 18. She works out “like a gladiator,” according to friends. 19. She hates tights – too “painful.” 20. At the Democratic National Convention in 2004, moments before her husband went on stage to give his speech, she said: “Just don’t screw it up, buddy!” SEE THE REST OF THE LIST BELOW THE GALLERY 21. She watches reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show 22. For breakfast she likes fruit, eggs and bacon. 23. When she got to Princeton she said the tutors weren’t teaching French correctly. 24. She refused to accompany her husband for walks in the cold Chicago winters. 25. She is the former associate dean at the University of Chicago 26. On their first date Barack took her to see Do The Right Thing, a Spike Lee movie set in Harlem. 27. Her brother, Craig Robinson, is the basketball coach at Oregon State University. 28. At Princeton, Michelle majored in sociology. She got her law degree from Harvard. 29. She worked for Chicago’s Mayor Daley in the city’s office of planning and development. 30. She uses a webcam to stay in touch with Barack while separated. 31. She cooks shrimp linguini – her husband’s favorite meal. 32. Michelle wrote her own stump speech during the campaign and delivered it without notes. 33. Michelle made Barack promise to quit smoking if he ran for president. 34. She plans not to have any more children. 35. She graduated from high school second in her class. 36. She cut back from her six-figure salary with the University of Chicago hospital system to help her husband with his campaign 37. Michelle makes Barack do the dishes. 38. As vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Centre, Michelle supervised a five hundred per cent increase of volunteerism in the hospital. 39. She was on the board of six major organizations, including the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Tree House Foods; and Vice President, Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. 40. She routinely drew audiences of 1,000-plus supporters, even when she was campaigning on her own, on the trail 41. Her inauguration dress was designed by Cuban-American designer, Isabel Toledo. Her green gloves were J Crew and her shoes by Jimmy Choo. 42. After her husband’s election to the US Senate, Michelle decided to stay in Chicago with their daughters instead of relocating to Washington, DC. 43. Her great-great-grandfather, Jim Robinson, was a slave in South Carolina before the Civil War. 44. Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama are the only First Ladies to receive master’s degrees. 45. She has committed each episode of The Brady Bunch to memory. 46. At 5 ft 11″, she is tied with Eleanor Roosevelt for tallest First Lady. 47.Her secret service codename is “Renaissance”. 48. Mrs. Obama shares her special day with Muhammad Ali who turns 70 today. Watch Michelle Obama Show Off Her Dance Moves On iCarly [VIDEO] Michelle Obama On Motherhood: ” I Am Just Hoping That I Don’t Mess Them Up”
Penn State is a horrible, horrible place. “Coach Paterno remains employed by the University as a tenured faculty member,” the Penn State Board of Trustees said in a statement released Thursday. “The details of his retirement are being worked out and will be made public when they are finalized. Generally speaking, the University intends to honor the terms of his employment contract and is treating him financially as if he had retired at the end of the 2011 football season.” Paterno was suspended through the end of the season, but now he can retire and get full benefits as if he coached the whole season. The board apparently did that in response to all of the outrage from the board over his departure. Yup, football is more important than a child’s innocence. So sad. More On Bossip! Get Your Life Together: Friends Think “Little Miss Slizzard Slutshine” Rih Rih Needs Rehab Break Up To Make Up? Broken Up Couples That Still Have Strong Feelings For Each Other…Will They Reunite Soon?! Clap Back! The 15 Cities With The Worst Herpes Rates In The Country…EWWWW!!! Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Gallery Of Poignant And Precious Moments Of His Life
Some may call it responding to safety concerns, others will say it was the icing on the cake for an embarrassing 33-point loss. Either way, the decision of University of North Carolina Head Basketball Coach Roy Williams to pull his bench players off the court with time still left on the clock during an upset loss to Florida State was unprecedented. FSU Coach Leonard Hamilton had suggested that Williams… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Blaze Discovery Date : 14/01/2012 23:32 Number of articles : 2
Some may call it responding to safety concerns, others will say it was the icing on the cake for an embarrassing 33-point loss. Either way, the decision of University of North Carolina Head Basketball Coach Roy Williams to pull his bench players off the court with time still left on the clock during an upset loss to Florida State was unprecedented. FSU Coach Leonard Hamilton had suggested that Williams… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Blaze Discovery Date : 14/01/2012 23:32 Number of articles : 2
‘It’s all negative ads so far: They’re bashing each other; they’re bashing the president,’ Obama re-election volunteer tells MTV News. By Gil Kaufman President Obama greeting supporters Photo: John Moore/ Getty Images DES MOINES, Iowa — Anywhere you went in Iowa over the past few weeks, the talk was likely to be focused on Tuesday night’s (January 3) Iowa caucus . But, because President Obama is an incumbent facing no Democratic challenger, the nation’s attention has been on the in-fighting among the Republican candidates vying for their party’s nomination. Obama was not far from their lips, though, as a landslide of attack ads on the airwaves here hammered the president on his policies, while questioning his dedication to the American ideal and just about anything else that would inspire Republican voters to come out and help decide the first-in-the-nation primary event. That’s why it’s somewhat surprising that in a law office on the outskirts of town, the room was buzzing with activity Tuesday as Obama supporters worked the phones to get their party faithful out to caucus. “Today, we are trying to get people out there to the caucuses and let them know that there is a caucus,” said Kameron Middlebrooks, 23, a student at Grand View University in Des Moines and neighborhood team leader for the Obama re-election campaign. He’s been in the state since April working with Obama’s Organize for America team, getting out the word about the caucus, training more than 12,000 volunteers and setting up more than 4,000 one-on-one meetings with voters. As for what issues are important this time around, Middlebrooks said Obama has already been focusing on what matters to him: overhauling the student loan system and creating more Pell grants. In an attempt to expand his voter base in the state, Obama — who easily won the Iowa contest in 2009 over Hillary Rodham Clinton — will address his Iowa supporters via a live Internet video feed as they gather to caucus Tuesday night. And while his staffers have made 350,000 phone calls to supporters so far, it’s been rough sledding for the Democratic faithful here in the Hawkeye State lately, as the air and newspaper boxes have been filled with a tidal wave of negative attacks on his first term in office. “Honestly, to me, it’s like watching a reality TV show,” Middlebrooks said of all the anti-Obama spots. “It’s all negative ads so far: They’re bashing each other; they’re bashing the president. It really makes my job easier when I go out and talk to caucus-goers or potential voters because I can explain to them that instead of all these grand ideas but no real solutions, we can really talk about the solutions and what President Obama has done and what he can continue to do if we give him another four years.” Overall, though, Middlebrooks said the reaction from voters he’s talked to has been good so far, and he’s confident Obama can win the state again. MTV is on the scene in Iowa! Head to Iowa.MTV.com for all our Iowa caucus coverage , and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season to follow Andrew Jenks on the campaign trail.
‘I think he can beat Barack Obama,’ 21-year-old tells MTV News. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Andrew Jenks Newt Gingrich meets with supporters in Iowa Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images URBANDALE, IOWA — With just hours to go before Iowa voters go to caucus , even as Newt Gingrich’s poll numbers slipped from their former lofty perch to fourth place, one of his most-fervent campaign staffers told MTV News on Monday that she’s blocking it out and keeping her eye on the prize. “I don’t pay a lot of attention to those polls. … I like to focus on the goal to the very end,” said Myranda Kazos, an energetic political pixie who has moved into a hotel room in Des Moines and put her life on hold in order to help Gingrich finish strong in Iowa. “I’m here to work and do the very best I can.” Kazos, 21, plans to take her LSAT exam soon, but in the meantime, she said she’s logging 18-hour days working for the Gingrich campaign. Her hoarse voice is a testament to the handful of all-nighters she’s pulled, as well as all-in days during which the self-described Newt obsessive has made more than 900 calls to voters in an attempt to lock in their vote. The history and political science major at the University of South Dakota first got involved in politics in 2006 and has been a proud conservative booster ever since. In fact, though she can’t caucus again this year because she’s a South Dakota resident, she has some strong reasons for coming out for Gingrich. “I think he can beat Barack Obama,” she said confidently, bucking the trend of the 41 percent of Iowa voters who were reportedly undecided as the big day loomed, according to a poll released Monday. “I think he has the r
