Michael Moore’s filmmaking style is consistent. Four years ago, Moore ran a shadow campaign in the months leading up to the 2004 election. His purpose was to get youth to vote George Bush out of office. His latest offering “Slacker Uprising” is a free online video journal of that whirlwind college tour.

Moore whips the filled-to-capacity arenas into a frenzy as he condemns the irresponsibility of the press and its managed-manufactured news.

The captivated audience howls as REM’s Michael Stipe pumps his fist in the air and declares, “Defend the constitution, not Iraq!”

The crowd roars as Moore hurls packages of clean underwear and Ramen noodles to the hypothetical slackers in the audience. These two items can supposedly entice a slacker off the couch into the voting booth. Who knew?

Students are no strangers to over-hyped youth-oriented campaigns urging them to participate in their future. Conceivably, Moore’s anti-Bush campaign combined with MTV’s Rock the Vote had some influence in 2004 as the youth vote did increase.

But Moore ends his movie saying that the parents of these newly-registered slackers voted for George Bush.

And the rest was history.

The timing of Moore’s free online movie is crucial and clever, considering his own futile crusade. But it was not Moore’s failure; it was the apathy of roughly 35 percent of voting-age Americans who did not show up at the polls.

There are lots of reasons why people don’t vote; they are too busy or just don’t feel like their vote counts. Political inactivity due to cynicism is dangerous; you’re basically censuring yourself.

Lack of faith in government inhibits involvement in the voting process.

“It’s not like you can make the government disappear by not voting,” said junior Eileen Barnett.

Voicing her concern when she marks the ballot, Barnett will vote on issues that are important to her

According to Newsweek, Guilford competes with Oberlin for social activism. Voting is the simplest and most effective way to enforce this activism.

“I want to make an impact,” said junior Melissa Wilks, who will be voting in her first election.

Moore lends a sympathetic ear to the non-voters; he proclaims that he understands their cynicism. The media only serves to further confuse us; we hate to be propagandized, swayed and browbeaten.

“It’s a carnival to me,” Barnett said.

Wilks is sick of the ads.

“They don’t sway me one way or the other,” she said.

This is it folks . it’s truth time. In less than two weeks you can cast your vote for president and buy yourself four more years of complaining rights. Or bragging rights.

If “Slacker Uprising” has taught us anything it is not to blow it this time. Imagine if in this election there actually was a strong youth vote and the so-called slackers came out to the polls. Think of the sense of pride you would have when historically your age group didn’t step up to the plate until you came along and bucked the trend. Despite the outcome, just increasing the numbers would create history.