On Nov. 4, students in need of a ride to the polls will have the option take a party bus equipped with snacks, prizes and shirtless male models courtesy of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Universities from across the country applied to Cosmopolitan’s #CosmoVotes party bus contest, hoping to bring the party bus to campus and encourage more students to get to the polls and vote on Election Day.
Camden Willeford, the associate director of publicity and communications for Student Government and a sophomore in management, applied to the contest on behalf of NC State.
As a major participant in student government, Willeford submitted an application informing Cosmo of the reasons why NC State deserved the bus more than other major competing schools.
“This is a huge election,” Willeford said. “We are a pretty big deal, even though we are a southern state—any party could win.”
North Carolina is not only a swing state in the upcoming senatorial election, but is also a swing state for presidential elections. The entire United States Congress could be determined by this election, and it is up to all North Carolina citizens who vote.
Willeford said it is important to get freshmen and sophomores to begin voting early.
When asked what inspired him to enter NC State in the contest, Camden Willeford said, “I do it for the people.”
Although the shirtless male model aspect of the bus may tend to excite more females than males, it creates a fun, exciting voting atmosphere for students, Willeford said. Anything that gets more students to go out and vote is worth it.
Because NC State’s student body is 56 percent male, the Cosmo bus would be a way to increase women voters and their participation in the election, Willeford said.
NC State is the largest university in North Carolina, so NC State students could make an impact on the voting results.
College students tend to be more apathetic about voting and politics, Willeford said. This election, being so important for North Carolinians, needs to attract as much of the voting population as possible.
Logistics for the event have not been fully determined, but Talley is being considered as a boarding site for students. Not only is it further marketing for the new Talley, but it will also offer marketing for Cosmopolitan, as part of its #CosmoVotes campaign, Willeford said.
Ideally, students will board at Talley or another official location to ride to the voting location designated to all students who registered under their NC State on-campus address, Willeford said.
On the bus, food, music and male models will await passengers.
Social media played a huge role in securing NC State’s win. NC State’s Twitter and other social media pages cited the hashtag #CosmoVotes to blow up the Cosmopolitan magazine newsfeed with NC State students excited about voting.
Between social media buzz and interaction among students, student voters have shown a great deal of interest about voting transportation.
“Everyone needs to vote,” freshman Olivia Jansen said. “I think it is a clever, effective and hilarious way to get people to the polls.”
