Some Ark-La-Tex college students are working to educate their peers on the war in Iraq. A war awareness rally was held today at Texarkana College. Student organizers explained to KTAL why raising awareness is so important Jeremy Tanner says about the future. "It is very important for young people to play a role in the future and how it is decided." After a group of concerned students decided to survey their peers on "America's Issues," they weren't too pleased with the results. 80 students answered questions about the war. Of those students, only 19 could name five key figures in Iraq. 32 students felt it all started over oil. Despite how it all started, one thing is clear. Student organizers say their demonstration today was an effort to inform. "We are not for or against.We are neutral. This rally is to educate people to get involved and express their ideas." Kristy Lummus says the fact that young people are dying should be a wake up call to her peers. "They are over there and they could die. These are people I went to high school with. It is like we turn off the tv to it," she says. She and her friends passed out pamphlets full of statistics to everyone who walked through the TC courtyard. People were also able to sign up to vote. Sterling Lacy, a rally attendee, is glad to see young people getting the word out. "The adults should have been doing this already themselves." Organizers say the rally was worth it even if just one or two students were impacted. But their hope is to change the "young adult" frame of mind. "I am a little disturbed at the apathy expressed by some college students and the state of the war now and the direction that it is going,' says Tanner. Another interesting fact: out of the 80 students surveyed at the college, only 31 voted in the 2004 election.
