As Michelle Obama and Jill Biden pushed a minority voter registration campaign in Florida on Tuesday, and the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) has been doing the same at NIU.

The NPC represents the black fraternities and sororities, or the “Divine Nine,” and organized a week-long effort as part of a Greek community service project to get potential minority voters to register for the upcoming election.

“I think that, in general, everyone has the same purpose to get everyone’s voices heard through registering, but, with ours, we are trying to target more minorities but at the same time,” said Quiana Jones, a senior public health administration major and second vice president of NPHC. “We’re just trying to get everyone registered,”

So far, the group has managed to get over 60 students to register and is looking to get as many more as possible before the voter registration deadline, which is Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Carolyn Eastlin, a junior double major in history and Spanish, has manned the table everyday and has seen her share of interested and uninterested students.

“You have a range of people that come around,” Eastlin said. “Some people are really enthusiastic

about getting to vote and others seem not as interested, and I think those who aren’t interested are really missing out.”

Despite being in a blue state where the vote commonly swings toward the democrats, Eastlin still believes voting to be important.

“From my perspective being a black woman, I think that everyone should vote because at one point in time, being African-American, we didn’t have the right to vote. So whether it goes to Democrats or Republicans, I think you should exercise your right to vote because it’s a privilege,” Eastlin said.

Students may register to vote, but the real concern is whether they will truly go out and vote after registering. Melanie Lester, a senior criminology major who also mans the table, believes students will.

“I do have confidence in them and I’m hoping that everyone goes out and votes and voices their opinion[s] because it’s really important with this election, and it’s their time to have their say in how everything’s run,” Lester said.

For one student who registered Wednesday evening, this momentous election will be her first.

“I think it’s a great election and it’s a big event for me seeing as how I just turned 18 in July, so it’s an honor and a privilege,” said Ciera Ruffin, a freshman electrical engineering major,

The NPC voter registration has visited the Stevenson, Grant, and Neptune residence halls this week. It will be set up at Lincoln Hall today and then Douglas Hall on Monday, both days from 5 to 7 p.m.