With a week left until Election Day, Gov. Ed Rendell will visit Penn State today to drum up support for the Democratic Party and encourage students to vote.

Rendell will speak at 2:30 in room 129A-B, near Alumni Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center. The event, sponsored by the College Democrats, will include opening statements by Democratic candidates Jon Eich, Don Hilliard and Centre County Commissioner Scott Conklin.

The College Democrats are hosting the event in the hopes that it will draw more students to the polls, College Democrats press secretary Eliot Schmidt said.

"The fact that Governor Rendell has chosen to come here as one of the stops in the final week of campaigning is really important," he said. "[He wants] to acknowledge how important the student vote is."

Rendell's visit to Penn State is one of a number of university visits he has made in the past two weeks. Rendell has also visited Kutztown University, Slippery Rock University and Lehigh University, spokesman Dan Fee said.

"The governor has been campaigning in college campuses across Pennsylvania," he said. "He believes this election is important for the leaders of tomorrow."

College Republicans President Todd Taylor said he plans to attend Rendell's speech.

"He is the governor of the state; I'm glad that he's coming," Taylor said. "I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say."

Taylor said Rendell should stop by Penn State more frequently.

"I wish that he would come more often than just during election season," he said.

Centre County Republicans Chairman G.T. Thompson echoed Taylor's sentiments.

"I'm glad to see he finally figured out where Centre County was," he said.

Thompson said he did not plan to attend the speech because his organization was busy preparing for the upcoming elections.

Centre County Democrats chairwoman Dianne Gregg said Rendell last visited Penn State around the time of the primary. Her organization co-sponsored the upcoming speech with the College Democrats, she said.

"We're always happy to have the governor in town," she said. "Gov. Rendell is a wonderful campaigner. When you have the opportunity to have the governor with you, you're very lucky."

Fee said Rendell hopes to address issues that most concern students in addition to encouraging the vote.

"If [students] want better jobs, better schools and a cleaner environment, they should come out and vote," he said.