State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka emphasized the importance of student voting and party balance at her lecture Tuesday night in Gregory Hall.

Topinka said party balance challenges important issues by presenting different perspectives.

She is serving her third term as Illinois State Treasurer and is chair of the Illinois State Republican Party. She has served the party as both a state representative and state senator.

"(Republicans) got soft," Topinka said. "We ran out of issues and we thought we would have the governor's position again since we had it for so long and this is not the right attitude."

It is going to be a long four years and balance would be in order, Topinka said.

"(Gov. Rod Blagojevich) does not have any idea of what is going on in this state," she said. "Republicans need to gain back some power in the state."

Topinka plans to organize a voter registration drive to encourage more people to vote. She said the drive will be the first one in 20 years.

"If you organize your numbers you can change the course of history," Topinka said. "We need people to be in the position to vote and get them to the ballot box."

Topinka said it is important to provide guidance for young people who will assume political positions in the future. She said most of the opinions of college republicans are probably in the minority on campus, but that these opinions are as good as anyone's.

"We are trying to get rid of the stereotype that Republicans are rich, old people who sit at country clubs all day," she said. "Our young people are more savvy, sophisticated, and well-read these days and we want to give them experience early-on."

The College Republicans sponsored Topinka's talk for their first general meeting.

"We wanted her to build everyone's spirit," said Victoria Cosentino, president of College Republicans. "She is a very powerful speaker."

Matt Diller, an Illini Media Company employee and internal vice-president of College Republicans, said he hoped Topinka's presence would rally republican students.

Topinka said that Illinois is a swing state — meaning the candidates who work the hardest are going to win.

"I think you can have anything you want, but you have to be willing to wait for it or pay for it," Topinka said.