A LOOK AT VOTING MYTHS & FACTS ABOUT THE “HASHTAG GENERATION” HOSTED BY NPR’S MICHEL MARTIN

Running for office traditionally meant hunting for votes at fish fries and county fairs. These days, candidates are grabbing stints on late night comedy shows, showing off workout routines, salting speeches with hip hop flavor and jumping onto Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and Vine—all in a search for the elusive youth vote. But does this really work? And why does it matter?

Event Snapshot NPR Presents: Michel Martin

Live event at Drake University Olmsted Center—Sussman Theater

Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.;

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Reserve tickets here.

Together with Iowa Public Radio, NPR Presents kicks off a second season of Michel Martin: Going There events in Des Moines, Iowa, with a look at this much pursued but little understood portion of the electorate. This unique live event, to be held at Drake University’s Olmsted Center on November 10 at 7:00 PM, blends interviews with a panel discussion between some of Des Moines’ most dynamic young activists, storytelling and live music, with a special performance by the Des Moines-based rock/folk band Canby. Tickets are available here.

In collaboration with NPR Member stations, Michel Martin: Going There is a live national events series guided by NPR’s award-winning host Michel Martin to tackle real issues affecting peoples’ lives. Martin connects people with different perspectives, histories and experiences, allowing them to share ideas, hopes, frustrations and solutions in sometimes difficult, often poignant but always engaging conversations.

In Des Moines, Martin will be joined on-stage by a panel of young activists with ties to Drake University, including sophomore and Crew Scholar Brandi Dye; senior and member of the Drake University College Republicans Raymond Starks; and Drake University alum and DREAMer organizer Hector Salamanca Arroyo. She will also be joined by Professor Rachel Paine Caufield, the associate director for citizen engagement at the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, headquartered at Drake. Together they will engage voices from around the state and around the country to find out what candidates need to do captivate the “hashtag generation.” In a place like Iowa where young voters are in short supply, should they even try? Will young voters play a decisive role in the 2016 presidential election, as they did in 2008?

“Remarkable things happen when we get people in a room together,” says Martin. “In our Going There events, we’ve been focusing on stories that have been percolating for some time. But we have been able to get people in a room together who might never have crossed paths otherwise, or might never have had a chance to sit down and really talk, to share their personal stories and their ideas. Going There reminds us that rich conversations about important subjects – even difficult subjects – are not only possible, they can be transformative and, even, if I may say so, fun!”

The event at Drake University complements a packed political season on Drake’s campus this year, which includes a nationally televised Democratic presidential debate to be broadcast from Drake’s Sheslow Auditorium on November 14 and a lecture by nonpartisan political analyst Charlie Cook on December 10.

During its first season, Martin held Going There events in seven communities across the country, where she explored everything from the ethics of football, to education reform, to diversity in theater to immigration. This year Martin will take the studio to the story in Des Moines, Montgomery, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Fort Collins and Chicago.

Each event in the Going There series is live tweeted with an additional, invited group of commentators, extending the conversation beyond the local audience. The public can follow and participate in these conversations on Twitter with #NPRyouthvote and @NPRMichel and on Facebook.

NPR Presents: Michel Martin is made possible by Kresge Foundation, and by a collaboration between NPR and Iowa Public Radio.

ABOUT NPR

NPR is the leading provider of non-commercial news and entertainment programming in the U.S. More than 27 million people listen to NPR programs each week via 800+ public radio stations throughout the country. In partnership with Member stations, NPR strives to create a more informed public – one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. As a digital innovator and a leader in the public media community, NPR assures that the unique mission of nonprofit public media is not only preserved, but grows.

ABOUT IOWA PUBLIC RADIO

Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through high-quality news and cultural programming. IPR was organized in 2004 to manage stations licensed to Iowa State University, University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa. This statewide public radio network, comprised of 24 stations, now serves over 225,000 listeners weekly with three programming streams: News, News/Studio One and Classical. IPR programming, including our new 24-hour Studio One stream, can also be found online at www.iowapublicradio.org or via the IPR app for iOS or Android.

ABOUT DRAKE UNIVERSITY

Drake University is a midsize, private university in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling more than 3,300 undergraduate and 1,700 graduate students from 40 states and approximately 40 countries. Students choose from over 70 majors, minors, and concentrations and 20 graduate degrees offered through six colleges and schools. Drake students, faculty, and staff take advantage of the wealth of cultural, recreational, and business opportunities found in Iowa’s capital city. In return, Drake enriches the city through its own cultural offerings, considerable economic impact, and many service-learning endeavors, which channel the talent and energy of the Drake students toward meeting the needs of the community.

NPR Media Contact: Isabel Lara / 202.513.2304 / mediarelations@npr.org

Drake University Media Contact: Aaron Jaco / 515-779-0526 / aaron.jaco@drake.edu