NEWS
Political groups see common problems
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by Emily Bourne
Monday, November 1, 2004
Despite the recent surge in new-voter registration nationwide, some leaders of political student organizations across the Big Ten Conference say university students are not as politically active as they’d like.
“Unfortunately, the more I get involved with campus politics, the more frustrated I get at the lack of student involvement in politics,” Austin Miller, president of the University of Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor organization, said in an e-mail.
Former University of Minnesota College Republicans Chair Dan Nelson feels similarly about the Minnesota campus.
“I’d like to see students care a little bit more,” Nelson said.
Despite the general lack of involvement, student political organization leaders did report interest in their groups has increased recently due to the upcoming election.
Jessi Schober, second vice chair of the College Republicans at the University of Wisconsin, was a UW student during the 2000 election. She said the College Republicans had less than half its present membership at that time.
Ryan Jolley, president of the College Democrats at Ohio State University, said in an e-mail that since the end of last year his organization has gone from 115 to 2,000 members on paper and from 50 to 200 attending meetings.
Other student political organization leaders reported similar increases in membership.
However, Jolley added that, in general, the Ohio State student body is not very politically active.
Adam Rusch, chairman of the College Republicans at Purdue University, said while interest has increased within the organization, general student political involvement should be greater.
Rusch said he believes there is a “silent majority” of conservatives at Purdue not involved in the College Republicans.
“Purdue is one of the most conservative campuses in the Big Ten,” Rusch said. “We’re probably the most active political organization on campus.”
University of Wisconsin political organization leaders said the general UW student body is not as politically involved as it should be.
Liz Sanger, chair of UW College Democrats, said UW students are politically aware, but she would like them to become more politically active.
“It would be wonderful if everyone got involved,” Sanger said.
Schober said students on the UW campus might be more likely to vote than other Big Ten students.
“As far as being active, I really don’t feel that students are that active,” Schober said.
Randy Niece, president of the College Democrats at Michigan State University, also said he feels students on the campus are not politically active enough. But he said the College Democrats, which is seeing an increase in membership like other Big Ten universities, is working to change that.
“Overall, I am always disappointed by lack of student interest in politics,” Niece said in an e-mail. “Our organization is amazing; I am so proud of the group we have been working with. It certainly gives me hope in our future.”
