If you've been following the Step It Up competition here on Play City, then you know exactly what I'm talking about, and you've probably been anticipating this moment for the last few weeks.  The videos are up and voting is open!

If you haven't been following along, this is as good a time as any to see what Step It Up is all about!  Step It Up is a step and dance competition in which young people from the NYC area dance for a cause, and organize community events as a part of their performances. 

Last weekend I got to watch KGB (Keep Gettin' Betta) film their PSA at Edenwald Community Center in the Bronx-- now all the PSA's are LIVE!

There are teams tackling issues like youth violence, poverty, and the environment, using their artistic and athletic skills to improve the conditions of life in their home communities.

Each team produced a Public Service Announcement video last week.  I was there lurking behind the scenes, and seeing the production process got me really excited for the final product. 

The videos are up on our Step It Up team pages now, and they're nothing short of spectacular.  The dancing and informative aspects of the videos are on point, and so is the cinematography and editing.  So go check them out! 

Once you've watched them all, you can vote for your favorite by clicking the blue "VOTE" icon at the top right of your favorite team's page.  Make your voice heard!

Last night during Monday Night Football, ESPN did something a little bit out of the ordinary. Instead of its usual slow-mo action replays from the first half, ESPN used its halftime slot to show Chris Berman's interview with Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

Rather than reiterating their major proposals for economic recovery or delving into the hot topics of jobs and taxes, the candidates talked about sports. [Check out the full story by the LA Times.]

Below, you can watch Senator Obama express an interest in college football playoffs.

And here's McCain, describing his personal experience playing football, wrestling, and boxing

Pro football is often a place where fans turn to avoid talking about politics. But in the midst of this historical presidential election process, even ESPN wants to get in on the hype.

Ultimately, this presidency won't be won by sports experience or a candidate's personal admiration for football (thankfully, our populace cares about many other issues besides sports). But it will be won by something called an election, which is TODAY, so get your butt out and vote!

No, really. Go vote.

 

I've been waiting for this day for a long, long time. This presidential election has gone on for... I don't know, at least five years, and I am PUMPED to cast my vote. Finally.

Over the last few months, I've gotten into my share of debates/fights/venting sessions/cage matches with people from all over the political spectrum. Even though all the yelling has probably permanently raised my blood pressure, one thing makes me really happy: how many people my age are actively campaigning and voting in this election. We're proving that our generation does care about what happens in our country and that we will vote for what we believe in.



There really isn't much else to say, except: PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU VOTE TODAY!

Find your polling place, bring your ID and go crazy in that booth. Happy Election Day!

The passion that this election has ignited in people is something I don’t think our generation has ever seen before. More young people have found more ways to take action to promote causes important to them than ever before– even if they can’t vote yet – and some ideas are ingenious in their simplicity!  Get this – my friend even stuck a “NO on PROP 8” sticker on his dog’s head when we were out at a park in San Francisco so that people would read the message when he was running around the grass and nuzzling up to people (the dog, not my friend, that is!). The possibilities are endless.

One way Brave New Films has decided to take action is in the infamous Las Vegas Fabulous Festival on Nov 1^st! It’s the biggest, baddest music and dance festival in all of Vegas – and given the city so famous for its extravagance and tendency to go all-out, that’s saying a lot! Visit their massive Brave New Voter RV at the Orleans Arena Complex 10pm-7am, so get pumped and get out the vote! BNF makes some amazing videos, like this one by Sekou (tha misfit) in collaboration with Rock the Vote  speaking his mind through spoken word about what he cares about this election:

 

They’ll be featuring films like that, as well as this video that I love from Video the Vote:

 

Plus, word on the street is that Barack Obama is going to be in Vegas this weekend too! What more reason do you need to pack your bags? But whether you’re in Portland, St. Louis, or absentee voting from Mexico City, there’s still time to get your voice heard on the ground, on the net, and over the airwaves!

I’ve never been so excited about standing in line before – to vote, of course! Hmm I’m thinking a road trip to Vegas this weekend sounds pretty good too…

 

After writing the first spotlight on Run to Vote, I started digging in to find other examples of athletic-based election-time activism. It's a great and simple matchup-- sports are good for you, and so is participating in democratic processes. I ended up finding something that struck my interest a little more, not because it's a better idea, but because it raises interesting issues concerning both athleticism and activism as they transform to fit into the twenty-first century.

 

Microsoft is setting up a system that will allow users of their X-box live online video game service to register as voters in between games of Halo. The effort is being organized by the folks behind Rock the Vote, an organization that has been trying to mobilize young voters for over a decade. In a BBC News story on the project, Rock the Vote Executive Director Heather Smith said "To realise our goal of registering two million young Americans by this fall, we need to go where young Americans are. There's no doubt in our minds that many are on Xbox 360 and Xbox Live." Rock the Vote has a good track record-in 1992, they registered 35,000 new voters, most likely helping to create the 20% increase in young voter turnout for the presidential election that year. But aside from mobilizing voters, what effects will such a campaign have? In my eyes, it encourages users to live even more of their lives in front of television screens, limiting their own contact with the material, real-life world.

 

In his article about the rise of professional video gaming, Dan Treadway writes "Studies have shown that video games can help enhance players' analytical skills and make them more perceptive.", which I believe. The puzzle-solving and twitch-reaction elements of many games definitely provide some brain-exercise, but the brain is just one of the few hundred organs and muscles in your body that need regular exercise to ensure that they work properly. Playing some video games can be good for you. Voting is good for all of us. But Rock the Vote would do a great public service if they added a message to be displayed after users register to vote. It could say something to the effect of "Remember to stop playing video games and go outside once in while!"