News
Hamilton Democrats, Republicans fight political apathy
By Julia Grace Brimelow '14
September 20, 2012
Combatting what is believed to be a largely apolitical student body, the Hamilton College Democrats and the Hamilton College Republicans have joined forces this election year to launch a series of campus-wide initiatives with the intention of getting more students involved in the political process.
Catering to the first-time voter, the two political clubs have focused initial outreach on the issue of voter registration. In an email sent to the campus community last week, the Republicans and Democrats launched Hamilton Votes: 2012, an effort to provide every eligible student voter with the forms he or she needs to successfully cast a vote on Nov. 6.
In response to the some 300 paperwork requests from students, the members of the clubs met this past weekend to stuff envelopes with the appropriate forms, delivering them to mailboxes on Tuesday.
However, these logistical features of voting are only a small part of the larger process of civic engagement the College Democrats and Republicans hope to bring to the Hill. The ultimate goal is to create a campus culture where political discussion and inquiry are central features of daily life.
In this spirit, the two organizations hosted a political discussion group this week. “The Youth Vote,” a two-night event co-sponsored by the Days-Massolo Center, addressed the main issues and principles behind the 2012 election, providing a platform for both Democrats and Republicans to speak with students about the impact of their vote in this critical election.
Individually, both groups have worked hard to popularize political discourse on the Hill. So far this semester, the College Democrats have held a Democratic National Convention watch party and brought a local congressional candidate to speak at a meeting. The College Republicans continue to hold weekly meetings and are planning to partner with the Alexander Hamilton Institute’s Publius Society to facilitate further intellectual political discussion.
The hope remains that these efforts can cultivate more political activism and engagement on the Hill.
“I think Hamilton’s really apathetic,” said William Rusche ’13, president of the Hamilton College Democrats. “There’s a section of the school population that is really devoted [to politics], but that’s it.”
But interest in exploring politics, especially in an election year, seems to be growing. With the success of the Hamilton Votes: 2012 campaign, there is a demonstrated interest in contributing to the political process.
Building on this wave of enthusiasm, Sarah Larson ’15, president of the Hamilton College Republicans, said the joint events help initiate discourse and boost enthusiasm for the civic engagement.
“It is my hope that students will take some of the opportunities provided by the Hamilton College Republicans and the Hamilton College Democrats to learn more about this years issues in order to be worthy representatives of our demographic come November.”