Students who support Democratic Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign met Thursday to discuss ways to attract student voters to their cause. They hope to encourage students to vote for the Massachusetts senator, or at least for a Democrat, to replace current United States president George Bush.

Students said they hope to support the campaign by educating students about the issues of the upcoming election, including Kerry’s plan to improve education.

“He wants to, actually wants to, fund education, which almost seems like a revolutionary idea these days,” said Mike Pfohl, UW-Madison senior and co-chair of Students for John Kerry.

Pfohl added that Kerry hopes to make funding a college education easier by offering free tuition to students who spend two years volunteering in the community.

According to Kerry’s campaign website, he would like to see more funding for education, including funding for more teachers, smaller class sizes and tax breaks for middle-class families with children in college.

Students for John Kerry plan to distribute informational brochures to students throughout campus as well as at staff informational booths in Memorial Union to encourage students to vote.

“Students need to realize that their vote is important and that Bush isn’t doing the greatest things,” UW freshman Rachel Donald, co-chair of Students for Kerry, said.

Donald encourages students to look up all of the candidates to learn about the issues. “Knowing what is out there so you can vote responsibly is the best way to start,” Donald said.

After former vice president and 2000 losing Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore announced he would not run in the 2004 presidential election, Kerry held the top spot in polls of Democratic voters. Since then, he has fallen below comers-on like Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and retired Gen. Wesley Clark for the Democratic bid.

Dean and Clark have enjoyed much of the current Democratic limelight due to the grassroots nature of their campaigns. Dean became the leading money-raising presidential candidate this summer by utilizing the Internet, and groups were organized behind Clark’s campaign before he even announced he would run.

Political analysts have also said Kerry and other possible Democratic nominees currently in Congress are at an immediate disadvantage against current frontrunners Dean and Clark. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.; Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.; and Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, along with Kerry, are considered to not have the liberty to question President Bush on the legitimacy of the war in Iraq because they themselves approved the war when it came before them for a vote on the floor of Congress.