Eastern’s Black Student Union is hosting its “Welcome Back Week” and is hoping to, among other things, encourage all students to vote.

“(Encouraging voting) is our service to the school,” said Black Student Union President Jeff Collier. “Giving students the opportunity to register down at school just makes it more convenient for them; this way they don’t have to use an absentee ballot.”

As of noon Tuesday, Collier said 15 students had registered to vote. The deadline for registration is Oct. 5, and Collier said he hopes this week’s number of voters will be the beginning to many more.

“We’ll push for any voter registration on campus,” Collier said. “If anyone wants to get a table together, BSU will be there to help if they want us to.”

Voter registration will continue through Thursday, and tables will be set up at noon Wednesday in the South Quad during Pantherpalooza and 10 a.m. Thursday in the Taylor Hall front lobby. Both tables will be up until 4 p.m.

“I registered because it’s very important to vote,” Karla Dodsen, a sophomore undecided major, said. “Voting is the only way people are heard; every vote does count.”

Collier said the Black Student Union came up with the idea to add a voter registration table to “Welcome Back Week” simply because of voting’s importance and today’s voting rights.

“As a minority, I look at voting differently,” Collier said. “I look back in history when we were pretty much putting our lives on the line to vote, and see today where we can put up a table and encourage everyone to vote; I don’t see why we shouldn’t encourage it.”