Laura Kelley of Rice University is founding a campus chapter of Democracy Matters to push for Clean Elections in the face of a campaign finance system that tilts the balance of power in favor of a wealthy few. She explains her support for full public financing of elections in this opinion piece for the student newspaper, the Rice Thresher (hehe).

We love ourselves some Adonal Foyle here at Public Campaign and this is why. Having just cast his first vote as an American citizen after years of dedicated activism on behalf of young voters, democracy, and Clean Elections Foyle -- who, in his spare time, plays center for the Orlando Magic -- is excited about the growing number of youth voters and aware that improving civic engagement doesn't end at the ballot box.

This past weekend I was fortunate to be able to go to the 8th annual Democracy Matters summit in Albany, NY. I always have a great time when I go to this summit. This year there were over 150 students from campuses across the country.

Adonal Foyle, backup center for the Orlando Magic and founder of Democracy Matters, gets to cast his first vote as an American citizen tomorrow in Florida's presidential primary. The Orlando Sentinel talks with him about his path to the states, the importance of voting, and why we have to get big money out of politics.

Jay Mandle, of Democracy Matters and Colgate University writes in Newsday today about the increasing dominance of wealthy contributors in elections depressing civic engagement: "Americans don't trust their government or political system. Cynicism about the motives and interests of our politicians is so deep that voters find themselves in an immobilizing contradiction."

It's kind of asking for trouble to hang your argument for a reduced role of private money in politics on Stephen Colbert's short-lived presidential campaign and Fidel Castro's insights on democracy but this is still an interesting criticism of the campaign finance system from Bill Spaulding, a high school student and member of the Elmira Star-Gazette student editorial board.