College students eager to vote

One group expected to go to the polls in high numbers next week and make an educated choice are college students. That is because their universities are urging them to vote and informing them about the candidates’ platforms.
While such efforts have taken place during previous elections, campuses report that this year students are more enthusiastic about participating in the political process because the 2008 election features historic candidates running against the backdrop of extraordinary events.
One of the Queens campuses abuzz with election-related activity this semester is St. John’s University in Queens.
“We want them to make an educated choice, not just cast a ballot,” said Brian Browne, assistant vice president for government relations at St. John’s, who also oversees Participate in ’08, the university’s student-led election initiative.
As part of that initiative, the Student Government’s Democratic and Republican clubs organized a debate on the issues in this election.
“It got people excited about the election. Right after the debate I had at least 20 people come and ask me how to register to vote,” said sophomore Nick Roloson, president of the College Democrats.
Participate in ’08 also featured expert guests who talked about some ways candidates promote their campaigns, like establishing a presence on popular websites such as MySpace, according to Browne.
Talk about the election is everywhere, said sophomore James Pickel, president of the College Republicans, who majors in government and politics.
“In all of my classes, and I don’t just take government and politics classes, we begin by talking about the election,” said Pickel, 19. “It applies to so many subjects here that the students can’t help taking about it.”
Students’ enthusiasm about the 2008 election is higher than in previous years because the candidates are unique, said Browne. For the first time in American history, a black man is running for president and a woman is running for vice president, so no matter what the outcome, it will be a historic moment, Browne explained. In addition, the election is happening amid a far-reaching Wall Street crisis and two wars – in Iraq and Afghanistan, Browne added.
“It’s almost like a perfect storm of issues coming together at once,” he said, noting that this is a learning opportunity for students.
How the country weathers that storm of issues depends on the public’s vote, so every person needs to cast a ballot, a concept that students understand, said Roloson.
“When you explain to them that we potentially could have had a different president had more people voted, they start to realize, ‘Wow, we may not be in a war right now; wow, the economy might be different,’ ” Roloson explained.
A testament to that understanding is the result of the weekly voter registration drives held at St. John’s. On its Queens campus of nearly 2,000 students, almost 700 students submitted completed voter registration forms, which the university mailed to the Board of Elections, said Browne.
In addition, there is a group of students, unclear how many, who registered to vote on their own, Browne said.
A similar initiative is being held at Queensborough Community College (QCC). It resulted in about 1,100 students registering to vote out of a student body of over 13,000 students, said Gisela Rivera, QCC director of Student Activities.
“When we approach students [about registering to vote] they say, ‘Yeah, I was going to do that.’ The conversation is already started in their heads,” Rivera explained.
She added, “The students are pretty well informed - I’ve overheard political conversations between them.”
One issue they frequently discuss is the economy’s impact on them seen with tuition increase and bleaker job prospects, explained Marvin Young, a student involved in handing out voter registration forms.
“We feel we have a strong voice in this election. We have a good understanding that we need to get involved,” Young said.