[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]In anticipation of the marriage amendment appearing on the upcoming November ballot, Students for a Fair Wisconsin met Wednesday to organize publicity efforts for its "Vote No" campaign.

According to Eli Judge, a University of Wisconsin sophomore and chair of Students for a Fair Wisconsin, the group has had an active presence in the state since its kick-off event two weeks ago.

"Over the past two weeks … we've dropped 26,000 pieces of [campaign literature] … we've used 375 pieces of chalk or more, and we've given out dozens of articles and blog entries to every newspaper not only on campus, but in the state," Judge said.

The "Vote No" campaign was created to fight the proposed amendment that will appear on Wisconsin ballots in the Nov. 7 general election. The amendment would define marriage as specifically between a man and a woman. According to the resolution's language, it would also ban the recognition of a "legal status identical or substantially similar" to marriage, including civil unions.

Leah Israel, statewide director of student organization for Fair Wisconsin and a 2006 UW alumnus, spoke about UW's flexibility as a campus for publicity.

"I've had an opportunity to go to many campuses: Stout, Whitewater, La Crosse, UWM … what we're able to do on the Madison campus is absolutely remarkable," she said. "A lot of the campuses have very strict rules and regulations. … We're essentially able to take over campus."

In addition, Israel emphasized the importance of the student vote.

"A lot of people, a lot of [state] senators … are saying that the student vote really can be the deciding factor," she added.

Besides what the organization is doing on campus, according to Andy Gordon — the primary student organizer on the Madison campus — Fair Wisconsin will run an advertisement during the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central.

The ad features a gay couple, Lynn and Jean, who had been together for 15 years. Nine months after they adopted a daughter, Jean was diagnosed with cancer.

"The ad just really tells the story of the struggles that Lynn had to go through," Gordon said. "She wasn't even sure if she could be in the hospital room with the love of her life, her 15-year partner."

Gordon added Fair Wisconsin is the first campaign to feature a gay family on TV to a Wisconsin audience.

Brian Dammeir, a UW freshman who attended the meeting, said he found out about the group from its chalking efforts around campus. Since signing up with the group on their web site, he said he has done several lit drops around campus and has seen a positive reaction from students.

"People pick [the fliers] up … especially in the big lecture halls," he said.

At the end of the meeting, Judge announced plans for a "big event" sometime in October but refused to comment further, saying the group wanted to keep the big announcement "under wraps."

Leaders from Fair Wisconsin and the primary amendment-supporting group in the state, the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin, are set to debate the amendment further in Waukesha Oct. 2.