Republicans making voice heard

They may be a minority, but they are attempting to make their voices heard.

All semester, Temple College Republicans has been working hard to get its message out across campus and in the city to help the campaign of Sen. John McCain.

Through debating on campus, campaigning off campus, hanging signs and making phone calls, members of College Republicans try to push past their minority status on campus to get their voices heard.

“To get our message out this year, the Temple College Republicans [members] have been volunteering heavily, not just in Philadelphia, but in the surrounding counties as well,” said Brian McGovern, president of College Republicans.

“I take any opportunity I can to speak with students or anyone else who is willing to listen,” the senior political science major added. “Direct dialogue is truly the best way to reach a person and put things into perspective.”

Joseph Koons, a junior finance major and secretary of the College Republicans, agrees with McGovern.
“I, with my fellow College Republicans, have helped with phone-banking and have volunteered at various political events,” he said. “We have also had information tables around campus, debated at forums and recruited new members at Temple Fest and Spring Fling.”

With the excitement surrounding the historic presidential election and for many experiencing their first time voting, McGovern said membership in the College Republicans has dramatically increased since last semester.

“When I first joined, every meeting included me and five other members,” he said. “Since becoming president of the group, our biggest problem at meetings often seems to be where we can find extra chairs to fit everyone in.”

“This semester we have seen an increase in membership,” finance major Bill Rennie said. “I have seen and talked to many Democrats that looked past Obama’s eloquence and rhetoric and actually recognize that his plans for the country will not help us.”

Last Wednesday during the College Republicans’ meeting, about 20 student Republicans exchanged campaigning experiences and other stories.

Robert Nix, the Republican candidate for State Senate 3rd District, spoke at the meeting. Nix, a graduate from the Beasley School of Law, emphasized the significance of offering Philadelphia residents a choice. Nix said 81 percent of the district is made of up registered Democrats.

“I’m running to set an example of what public service should be,” Nix said.

Students at the meeting grumbled in response to the statistic, suggesting Temple’s numbers were probably less favorable to their party.

The majority of students at Temple are registered Democrats, but members of the College Republicans said they do not let that discourage them. Many said despite sometimes feeling singled out, they do not hide their conservative beliefs and are encouraged to participate in open dialogue with more liberal students.

“Obviously, we are the political minority here on campus, but that is not a bad thing. It is just a challenge for us to share our beliefs with others,” said Rennie, who is the executive director of the organization.

“Being a Republican on Temple’s campus can be tough for some people. You often feel marginalized by the very vocal liberal majority,” McGovern said. “Temple is a good place for political discourse. I often find myself entrenched in deep discussions with students I barely know, defending my views and listening to theirs.”

“Temple students and faculty haven’t given me too much grief over my views. Their views might be very liberal, but they are generally open to political discourse,” Koons said.

McGovern said the liberal presence on campus is misleading.

“There are more Republicans on this campus than you’d think,” McGovern said. “After our debate with the College Democrats, I received numerous e-mails from total strangers saying that we changed their vote and knowing that just makes this whole thing seem even more worthwhile.”

Regardless of students’ political affiliations, the group encourages everyone to vote.

“While we did not have as vast a registration as the Democrats did, we do believe that everyone’s voice should be heard, no matter what candidate they support,” McGovern said. “The right to vote is one that many people throughout the world do not enjoy and would even die for. It’s not just a right, but also a responsibility.”

After the mayhem of the busy election season clears up, the College Republicans will be working with the Temple College Democrats to plan events and fundraise. After the election, the organization will host more outreach events and continue to recruit new members.

“After this election is over, look out for a lot of events being co-sponsored between the College Republicans and the College Democrats,” McGovern said. “[Elizabeth Hanson, president of the College Democrats], and I have been building a great relationship between our organizations over the past year, and I am proud to say that here at Temple we can set our differences aside, reach across the aisle and better our campus together. I wish that Congress would take a cue from us sometimes.”

Valerie Rubinsky can be reached at valerie.rubinsky@temple.edu.

Surge in political activism from students on all Philly campuses

The full force of the American political machine is upon Pennsylvania after its emergence as a major battleground state for the Democratic primary season. One may have observed one or two people with a clipboard urging people to register to vote, if not an influx of campaigning on campus.

With a historic number of young people involving themselves in the political process this election cycle, it is no surprise to find an increase in political action around other Philadelphia universities as well.

“I think students are pretty active this time around compared to more apathetic at other times in the past,” said Romit Bhattacharya, a junior neuroscience and English double major at University of Pennsylvania.

One Sen. Barack Obama supporter, Miles Galbraith, who is working on the Illinois senator’s campaign on Drexel’s campus, said what he’s seen has been very encouraging.

“Students are dying to help out,” he said. “It’s been really good so far. People are active and seem excited.”

The excitement of this presidential election is inspiring renewed effort within political organizations around university campuses in the Philadelphia region. Penn College Republicans recently launched a new Web site, penncollegerepublicans.com, as part of its broader strategic communications campaign.

Communications Director of Penn College Republicans, sophomore Michael Tate, explained the importance of the new strategies.
“My goal is more communication,” Tate said. “More communication means more action. We’ll see when the new [school] year starts and we’re ahead of the curve. New students want to do new things. We have our stuff together, our priorities straight.”

Mobile messaging is just one of the new communication techniques the organization is implementing. Anyone can sign up on the Penn Republicans’ Web site for updates sent directly to their cell phones.

“We are the most innovative of any group of College Republicans in Philadelphia,” Tate said. “We don’t idle.”

That is not to say that the organization is satisfied with the level of political activity currently on its campus.

“Political events tend to be very popular here, yet Penn students are not as politically active as they should be. Not as politically active as, say, Berkeley or Columbia,” he said.

On April 15, Penn Republicans will also host, along with Penn College Democrats, a debate between the two organizations in the Penn bookstore.

The broader student population at Penn is interested and takes the organization seriously, Tate said.

“We may be Republican on campus, but many of the issues we stand for, people are interested in, and people are interested in hearing both sides,” he said. “Even on a campus like Penn, which is very liberal.”

Regardless of political affiliation, one common theme on Philadelphia campuses seems to be conversation.

“Everyone has an opinion one way or another,” Galbraith said. “If you’re wearing a button or pin people will come up to you no matter who you are, or who you support, and engage.”

Bhattacharya sees a similar atmosphere at Penn.

“There’s a lot of excitement more so than contention,” Bhattacharya said. “Most people recognize the importance of this election and realize that change needs to happen regardless of who it is.”

Students in the Philadelphia region have found many of the issues within the campaigns directly affect them just as much, if not more than the general American public.

“I think there’s a lot of concern with national issues such as healthcare and the war,” Bhattacharya said.
“No. 1 issue is economy,” Tate said. “A lot of my friends want to get jobs in the financial sector.”

The question that remains is whether or not the enthusiasm around the presidential campaigns will be sustained after the Democrats wrap up the Pennsylvania primaries on April 22. But many supporters have come to Pennsylvania from out of state to help with their candidate’s campaign.

“After Pennsylvania, the campaign moves on to the remaining primary states,” said Galbraith, a University of California at Santa Barbara alumnus from Colorado.

It will remain up to the campus chapters of respective political organizations to retain the momentum that an exciting primary season has created.

Kymberly Bays can be reached at kymberly.bays@temple.edu.

President Owl: National campaigns remind us of municipal and state battles.

Every four years, presidential campaigning comes to Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia, to Temple and the student body manages to seem politically energized.

Sen. Hillary Clinton rallied in McGonigle Hall, and last week, Chelsea Clinton appeared in Mitten, as reported by The Temple News today [“Chelsea Clinton visits campus, talks foreign policy with students,” LeAnne Matlach, April 15, 2008]. It became clearer still that the national spotlight was again on Philadelphia’s political climate again when Sen. Barack Obama gave one of the most consequential speeches of our generation at the National Constitution Center, as reported by The Temple News.

In 2004, Sen. John Kerry visited both Temple and the University of Pennsylvania, as reported by The Temple News.

The Temple News ran cover stories on student demonstrations and protests, including a photo of Kim Plank and Jessica Wallen, then members of Temple College Republicans, dressed as a pair of flip flops, criticizing Kerry for changing his stance on campaign issues.

Democracy in action, with students acting as a driving force. Yet we fear now as we feared then, amid all the growth and on-campus development Temple has seen, we can’t seem to get excited about municipal and state elections. Sen. Arlen Specter was facing a challenge from Rep. Joe Hoeffel, now active in Gov. Ed Rendell’s administration, a challenge Specter overcame without many students paying attention, as reported by The Temple News.

Four years later, as Clinton and Obama get ready to do battle on April 22, students have a chance to involve themselves in a host of important local campaigns but find only the biggest fish are worth fishing for, as highlighted by a debate between Temple College Republicans and Democrats.

Set aside challenged Pennsylvania house district primaries in the Northeast’s 179th and South Philly’s 184th, the Democratic primary to fill the State Senate seat of outgoing Sen. Vince Fumo has enormous implications for the city and Mayor Michael Nutter’s administration but is also garnering statewide attention. John Dougherty, Local 98 electrician’s union business manager and Fumo political enemy, is leading in the dollar count, but he’s seeing significant pressure from lawyer Larry Farnese and political activist Anne Dicker.

Yet, that doesn’t seem to excite many Temple students like Hillary or Barack, assuring we can expect Temple to remain politically active once every four years.

TTN Video: Chelsea stumps at Mitten

Campus campaigners get the vote out

With the primary election coming to Pennsylvania on April 22, it’s easy for student voters to become overwhelmed. Where do they go to vote? Who do they want to support?

These questions cannot even be asked unless a student is registered to vote — a situation that can be complicated and confusing. Luckily, there are many organizations at Temple that will help students along this arduous process of understanding how politics work today.

Ryan McCool, president of Temple College Republicans, said that campus campaigning is a great way for students to get involved, and also a great way to get the Republican candidate out there.

“We feel that Sen. [John] McCain can appeal to all college students with his experience and ability to reach across the aisle,” he said. “Many students are beginning to see that while [Sen. Barack] Obama is an excellent speaker, he has no substance.”

Temple College Republicans was originally founded during the Reagan administration. The group saw a resurgence of interest with the election in 2004, and its membership has since increased every year. With more than 30 active members, the group is determined to mobilize the students for the Republican Party by the November election.

“Temple College Republicans are kind of sitting back and letting the two Democratic candidates beat each other up,” McCool said. “We are taking the time to organize our resources, and to be ready to mobilize when the Democrats finally pick their nominee.”

While Temple College Republicans is waiting for the next big chance to mobilize students, the Temple College Democrats group is busy helping students decide between the two candidates who are causing such a stir – Sen. Hillary Clinton and Obama.

“This is the first time in history that we have two different minorities running for the Democratic nomination,” said Sean Goldman, parliamentarian of Temple College Democrats. “It is such a pivotal year, and students are becoming more engaged. It is ever-growing, and hopefully will not stop any time soon.”

Temple College Democrats was founded in 1917, and has since then partaken in events that help to express the party’s platform.

“We provide a place for college students that identify themselves as Democrats, a place to go and speak with like-minded individuals,” Goldman said.

Since fall 2006, the group has grown to 60 active members, and has since stayed active during campaigns.

Goldman said that campus campaigning is a pivotal part of the political process.

“The youth vote is so important in these crucial elections, and candidates need to speak to that,” he said.

Anna Walker, president of Temple College Democrats, agreed with Goldman.

“Campaigning allows students to access key issues in politics and society, as well as provide an outlet for personal political development and networking,” she said.
Temple College Democrats are ready to activate the students come primary day.

“We will be sending teams of students around campus the day of and before to help students find a polling place around campus,” Walker said.

Temple College Democrats also set up tables to reach out to students during the month before the Pennsylvania voter registration deadline.

“Our goal is to assist and provide access for students developing their sense of politics, activism and ideology,” she said.

Student participation in campus campaigning is so prevalent, even professors are taking notice. Kevin Arceneaux, assistant professor of the political science department, said he considers student-led campus campaigning to be a positive development.

“It demonstrates the depth of interest that many of our students have in politics and the political process, to the extent that it emanates directly from the campaigns,” he said. “It shows that politicians are beginning to take seriously again the votes of young adults. Until the past few campaign cycles, major political campaigns have tended to ignore voters between 18 and 30.”

Arceneaux said that this election is different than previous ones in terms of mobilizing the students.

“The first big difference is that Pennsylvania is actually in play this year,” he said. “The second big difference is that campaigns have begun to actively reach out to college students.”
And perhaps candidates have begun to campaign to college students because their voices count now more than ever.

“In this upcoming election, 25 percent of the electorate is the youth vote,” Goldman said. “By campus campaigning, candidates have the opportunity to engage that electorate block and motivate them to get out there and vote.”

Campus campaigning is not the only thing that will motivate students to vote this year. There are many prevalent issues hitting close to home to mobilize the students.

“The war touches many college students’ lives in a more direct way than these other issues,” Arceneaux said. “Soldiers in Iraq are about the age of the traditional college student. It’s not uncommon for students to have a friend or relative who is in the military or even Iraq.”

Goldman said every issue is vital. However, he has done his research in terms of student opinion.

“Statistics have shown that the top three issues students care the most about are the war in Iraq, funding for college and jobs,” he said. “These all affect students directly in the now.”
Walker considers different issues to be at the heart of the campaign.

“The biggest issues for students revolve around equality, such as the equality of social status, economics, healthcare and education,” she said.

When McCool asked his fellow Temple College Republicans what they considered the biggest issue to be, they answered national defense.

“We don’t hear anything from the Democrats on what actions they plan to take to prevent another terrorist attack and that makes us uncomfortable,” he said.

Despite the mixed array of opinions, students still have to make the choice on whether or not to be involved. Once they pick the candidate they want to support, they need to make sure they are registered. Thankfully, there is help in that department.

Temple Votes is a nonpartisan student organization that registers students to vote. Its goal this year was to register 1,000 new voters, but the organization fell short of that goal by 100 to 150 voters.

“It was very encouraging because we found that a lot of students were already registered,” said Vivek V. Jayaraman, media representative of Temple Votes. “We had students from Temple Democrats and Temple Republicans involved as well.”

They publicized themselves with DJs in the Student Center, various residence halls and any other high-traffic area. They also registered students on the spot – with tables, forms and complete instructions.

Students who registered were given prizes and T-shirts as a reward and to excite them about the primary election.

“It was a pretty even split in terms of getting students to register,” Jayaraman said. “At times we had to call people over, the ones that needed the extra push, but others were much more eager to find out themselves.”

Jayaraman explained that it became clear that students wanted to register – they just didn’t know how to go about it.

“Temple Votes just helped make it easier for students who didn’t know where to go or who to trust,” he said. “A lot of people really see this election as a crucial point. The interesting candidates make college students more mobilized than before.”

These campus groups greatly facilitate student participation in this upcoming election. Whether they are biased or nonpartisan, there are many outlets for students to get involved in and change the stereotype that college students do not care.

“Campuses contain one of the most historically apathetic voting blocks,” Walker said. “Campaigning provides students an opportunity to discover and express their political voice.”

Melanie Menkevich can be reached at melanie.menkevich@temple.edu.