Most undergraduates, whether returning students passing by the postered kiosks on campus or incoming first-years receiving flyers from the Institute of Politics (IOP), have been exposed to the "hype" surrounding HYPE '96--the IOP's upcoming political extravaganza honoring the 1996 elections.

An acronym for Harvard Youth for Political Empowerment '96, HYPE '96 will be a memorable event, according to its organizers, with food, games, speakers, booths and music.

But politics will be the primary focus at HYPE '96, scheduled to take place September 21 from noon until 5 p.m. at the MAC Quad. The date of the event coincides with the IOP's 30th anniversary.

All activities at HYPE '96 will be political by nature, including athletic events. One planned match is a jousting tournament between Republicans and Democrats.

HYPE '96 aims to channel election year political euphoria to "get students more psyched about Election '96," IOP Student Advisory Committee Projects Chair Eric P. Christofferson '98 said.

Christofferson noted that although 99 percent of the IOP-sponsored events are academic in nature, this year the IOP is trying a different tack with HYPE, hoping the carnival-like atmosphere of the event will appeal to all students on campus and perhaps draw their attention to the importance of politics.

"There is a large population that is apathetic not only in the greater community but in Harvard as well," Christofferson said. "HYPE is a way to target them. In order to do this, we've decided to take a more non-traditional approach."

Although earlier reports had suggested John F. Kennedy Jr. and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass) might speak or make an appearance at HYPE, neither John-John nor his uncle now say they will be available to attend.

Christofferson said, however, that actual candidates in the 1996 elections (excluding the presidential candidates) would be at the event as well as an undisclosed list of big-name speakers.

Masoumeh "Massy" Tadjedin '99, who is coordinating speakers for HYPE '96, was unable to provide a finalized list of speakers Sunday morning.

However, bigger-name speakers confirmed and slated to "stump" at the event thus far are Rep. Barney Frank '61-'62 (D-Mass.), a highly liberal, often controversial politician who is up for re-election this year, and David Wilhelm, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and a current IOP Fellow who will be representing Clinton's 1996 presidential campaign at the event.

The actual MTV "Choose or Lose" bus, a mobile voter registration vehicle featured on the MTV news program, will be at HYPE '96, confirmed Christofferson. MTV will likely film the festival for a spot on the "Week in Rock" news.

Christofferson also expects New England Cable News and several local television stations to cover the event.

Rock the Vote, the non-profit voter registration organization which gained fame through its ads on MTV featuring pop celebrities, is likewise scheduled to be at HYPE '96, with its officials manning voter registration tables.

According to Christofferson, representatives from two local radio stations, WJNN Jammin' 94.5 FM and WFNX 101.7 FM, will also attend the event. These and other groups will be giving away prizes and raffling off spring break trips to students who attend HYPE '96, Christofferson said.