Democratic presidential candidate Rev. Al Sharpton spoke only briefly about his campaign and instead focused on encouraging students to vote Friday night.
Stopping halfway through his speech, he asked the audience if they were registered to vote. More than one-fifth of the audience in the packed Ward 1 room raised their hand to say they were not.
Registration forms were distributed, driving home Sharpton's point that the power of expressing an informed opinion by voting will force politicians to recognize the views of the younger generation.
"If young people aren't voting, no one will care about this generation," Sharpton said.
He challenged students to live a life that affects more than themselves and to make a difference.
"When you empower people, people can tear up or bring down what they believe."
He ended the speech by encouraging students to vote, to register, to agree, to disagree and to challenge the system.
