Next month, OU students can hang out in the OC, win prizes and eat free food — all with a political twist.

OUSC will host their fourth annual Rock4Rights Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Gold Rooms of the Oakland Center.

Students can register to vote and sign up for an absentee ballot while learning about political issues. There will also be raffle drawings, contests, musical performances, poetry readings and free food.

According to OUSC’s current Legislative Affairs Director Michelle Alward, the first Rock4Rights event was held in 2009 and organized by former OUSC Vice President Amy Ring. Since then, this event has been held every fall to promote student voting and political involvement.

Alwardt organized this year’s event and said she hopes to exceed last year’s 300 participants.

“It’s a great place to get information about voting and how to register,” she said. “It’s also a good way to see some of Oakland’s most talented students perform.”

Alwardt said a main goal of this event is to raise political awareness among students and encourage them to vote in November’s presidential election.

“We need to stress to students that elections affect them,” she said. “Student financial aid, tuition and many other issues that matter to college students are going to come up in this year’s race.”

Current OUSC Vice President Robbie Williford has been assisting Alwardt in the organization of Rock4Rights and will also be performing spoken word poetry at the event.

Other acts that will be performing include OU junior Laurien Atkin, indie rock band The Burning Ponies, local spoken word artist Mama Sol and more.

Williford said this event will be a fun, free way for students to listen to some of OU’s talented musicians and poets, eat and hang out while learning something in the process.

“You have political awareness and free entertainment in front of you,” he said. “You also have a chance to meet some cool people and hear what they care about.”

Contact Staff Reporter Jennifer Holychuk via email [email protected] at or follow her on Twitter @jholychuk