Some UW-Madison students chose the world of entertainment over academia Monday morning, opting to miss their 9:55 classes to see Hollywood actress Natalie Portman deliver a speech in Chadbourne Residential College endorsing John Kerry for president.
A few lucky volunteers even got to meet her before she spoke. UW-Madison freshman Laurie Hazan was one of them.
\Natalie was very friendly,"" she said. ""She thanked us for volunteering; she said she appreciated our effort that was necessary to help Kerry win.""
Meanwhile, Chadbourne was crowded with students and a few families, some expecting her talk to have an impact on their vote, while others were just dying to see her.
UW-Madison freshman Jen Werwie explained she was 18 and ready to vote. She came to the rally because she loves and respects the actress but also because she is yearning for some knowledge since her mind is not yet set on one candidate.
In a confident voice, Portman remarked how Bush destroyed the American economy and how ""the war is going to be the burden of our generation.""
The Harvard graduate insisted that now was ""an important time to get involved,"" especially since ""the last election was decided on only a few thousand votes.""
Portman also mentioned the Take Five concept, an initiative to get women to vote through encouraging everyone to continue to spread the word, especially ""in a crucial state like Wisconsin.""
The 23-year-old believes that electing John Kerry would ""change our lives and the lives of everyone in the world.""
