Some English 30 (Honors Composition) students are acting on their ideas about the presidential campaign.

Professor Diana Gruendler assigned her politically themed English class a project aimed at mobilizing college-aged voters in tomorrow's presidential election.

Each group was required to motivate at least 10 voters, and the students could decide if their project would be party-specific or not.

"This project is a call to action. It shows how individuals can have an impact without being a part of a larger association," Gruendler said. "The students are really developing a voice."

That voice took numerous forms as the students developed their projects.

One group presented a project in which female students would escort male voters to the polls, allowing them to do their "duty with a beauty."

Women could also request a male escort to carry them to the voting locations, or "piggyback to the polls."

"The idea was proposed as a joke, but the more we laughed about it, the more seriously we took it," group member Brian Yutko (freshman-aerospace engineering) said.

Yutko's group plans to circulate around campus tomorrow and use their plan to encourage voting.

Other students created a project promoting Sen. John Kerry with a poster saying, "Bush has put me in debt, made me belligerent and made me lose my job. Take a shot with Kerry," playing on the idea of Anheuser Busch Beer and alcoholic shots.

Students voting Democratic would be rewarded with a photograph with a group member dressed up as Kerry.

Some groups took a more serious approach to the project.

One group created a Web site, www.psupledge.info, where people can electronically pledge to vote for Kerry.

Eric Schoon (freshman-music and religious studies) said the Web site allows viewers to compare the proposed plans of President George W. Bush and Kerry.

"It is important that people make their own decision and even more important they actually go to the polls," he said. "I think we sometimes forget that the government works for us."

College Democrats President Megan Green said she thinks getting students to the polls is important. "Anything that is done to encourage people to vote is good, especially students, because we've been discounted as an apathetic part of the population," Green said.

Other projects promoted voting for Bush. One group developed a pro-Bush Web site, www.pennstatevote.cjb.net, and has been volunteering with the Republican election office, 232 S. Allen St.

The Web site provides a quiz claiming to help undecided voters determine which candidate best represents their viewpoint, however, the result always matches the responses with Bush, group member Gary Ezekian (freshman-industrial engineering) said.

Another group plans to target people who will vote Republican by calling them as a reminder to vote and providing them with food if they do.

"I think that encouraging people to vote is great, however, people need to be careful about offering incentive because it provides the wrong reason for voting," College Republican Chairman Andy Banducci said.

Gruendler, however, thinks her students have become more engaged in the election. "They've really learned the value of their own opinions and of respecting others," she said. "I've seen them debate the strengths of candidates more than their weaknesses."