“On the road again, goin’ places that I’ve never been, seein’ things that I may never see again” plays in
the background as governor opponent Beto O’Rourke continues his College Tour.
Yesterday, he set his GPS toward Sam Houston State University, where he held an event to spread his
message to students. The event began at 10:30 a.m. and concluded at around 11 a.m., after which
students swarmed to take pictures with O’Rourke. During this event, O’Rourke took the opportunity to
give his opinion on many of the issues college students are worried about today.
“Whoever you vote for if you wanna have a voice or some say in how this election is decided, we gotta
get out and vote,” O’Rourke said. “If your issue is reproductive healthcare freedom, if it is gun violence,
if it’s access to higher education, (if) it’s reducing crime in the state of Texas. Whatever that is, we need
you to come out and vote and we count on you Bearkats.”
The event first opened with Fellow Students for Beto member and current SHSU Senior Makiya Owens
giving a speech about her involvement with O’Rourke’s visit.
“I believe that voting is one of the most powerful student duties that we hold as students,” Owens said.
“So powerful that they don’t want us to vote. They put the polling location 5 miles from campus so we
can’t reach it- we need to vote ya’ll I’m tired.”
After her speech, Owens said how she “has always been into politics”, and when Student Fellows for
Beto positions began to open she had to “hop on it.”
“I believe in change, and I think that students have almost more power than they think to create that
change that we need in Texas,” Owens said. “We decided to have a rally here. We know it’s a bit
conservative in Huntsville, but we were like ‘we’re gonna have it anyway’.”
O’Rourke said his visit to SHSU’s campus was started “late in the game.” Only planned 72 hours in
advance, he asked “if anyone would even come out?” But O’Rourke was determined.
“This place is important to me,” O’Rourke said. “We’ve been here at Sam Houston before we’re so
impressed with the student body, with the administration, with the community of Huntsville. We
wanted to come back and show our gratitude but also in list of support and help of those who want to
knock on doors and volunteer with us.”
At the event, student fellows and other volunteers helped SHSU students and attendees register for the
upcoming Nov. 8th election.
“I’m gonna ask you one last time,” O’Rourke said. “We have student fellows on this campus (and) other
volunteers and on these clipboards, they have opportunities for you to sign up. (Here) you’ll meet the
people who can decide the outcome of this election, and won’t it be so pretty, powerful, profound,
poetic, political justice if the very people drawn out of this democracy are the ones that we bring in and
they win this for us as the margin of victory on election night.”
According to votetexas.gov, the last day to register for the Nov. 8th general election is Oct. 11.
CUTLINE: Texas Democratic candidate, Beto O’Rourke made a campaign stop at Sam Houston State University as a part of his Texas College Tour on Friday October 7, 2022. On Beto’s Texas College Tour, he visits different Texas universities to outline his unifying vision of his beliefs. This event was held in the LSC on campus with over 1500 students in attendance. This event was made aware of only 72 hours in advance.
Student fellows help the Sam Houston State University community register to vote. At this event, they were able to reach 405 sign ups. 
Here are Sam Houston students trying to form a line to snap a quick picture with Beto. 
In the yellow vests are student volunteers that have dedicated their time to helping this event run as smoothly as possible with sign up sheets. There were over 20 volunteers that have helped many students get registered to vote. 
Beto meets and greets Sam Houston students. 
More students are happy and ready to meet Beto and get pictures with him. 
Members of SHSU’s Theta Mu Alphas meet Beto as well as snapping a quick photo with him. 
The line to meet Beto was very hype and energetic. The “Beto for Texas” signs were given for free to all students in attendance. 
The line to meet Beto was very hype and energetic. The “Beto for Texas” signs were given for free to all students in attendance. 
Beto and his staff opened up the floor to questions that any student may have for him at the very end. Here is a student asking Beto a question for Channel 7.