GREENSBORO - First came the muffled noise, faraway sounds of drums pressing through the walls and windows of the Exhibit Hall of N.C. A&T's Memorial Student Union.
A standing-room crowd gathered there Thursday afternoon, and some of the young women jumped from their seats and ran to the windows.
They pulled back the blinds and shrieked in approval when they saw a cluster of men walking under umbrellas behind Cold Steel, the drumline of A&T's Big Blue Marching Machine.
Shad Gregory Moss was an hour late. But finally, there he was on the sidewalk.
Shad Moss? Who?
The rapper, music producer and actor known to legions of fans as Bow Wow made a brief homecoming week appearance at A&T as part of his "Walk Across America" tour.
This is no performance tour. Bow Wow simply stood at a microphone and spoke for a few minutes.
"We've got people struggling. You know what I'm saying?" he said. "It's my responsibility as a young person, 21 years old, to spread the word. It's our responsibility as young people to get out the vote."
No songs. No souvenir sales. No pitch for the latest CD or movie.
Just a plea: Take part in the process; register and vote.
"I wanted to reach out and do something," he said. "I want you to put your hand out and help somebody. ... We've got people hurting and facing foreclosures. We've got big banks getting ready to fail. Times are hard, and the only way to make your voice heard is to vote."
He shook a few hands, posed for a few photos.
And just like that, he was gone, back under the umbrella to walk from A&T to Bennett for another short speech.
Meanwhile, A&T junior Sy Jasmin and a few volunteers went through the crowd with clipboards and voter registratoin forms.
They've registered more than 2,000 people since late last year, and added about a dozen more Thursday.
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 4 election is today.
"One more day and it's over," Jasmin said. "That's it. If you don't get it done, you can go home and cry about it."
Jasmin said his work won't end with the deadline.
With early voting, people can register and vote on the same day. So come Saturday - the high point of homecoming weekend - Jasmin and his volunteers will change tactics and spread the word about early voting.
"This is my first time at A&T, and I love it," Bow Wow said, "and (the volunteers) working to get out the vote here, they're the future. You know what I'm saying?"
Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com
