Students from all sides gear up for presidential election
As the 2012 presidential election approaches, USU students are finding ways to get involved – no matter what side of the political spectrum they’re on.
Mike McPhie, a senior majoring in law and constitutional studies and a member of the College Democrats, said he puts a lot of energy and emphasis on getting students registered to vote.
“We helped around 200 people register to vote, and we expect many more,” he said.
This is McPhie’s first semester back at USU after interning in Washington, D.C., where he studied public policy while interning at the Healthcare Leadership Council.
“My experiences there were phenomenal. I’ve been very interested in bringing back a lot of the things I learned and observed while at the nation’s capitol,” he said.
People often tell him that one person can’t make a difference in politics. He said there may even be some truth to that, but it is still critically important to be involved.
“It’s easy to become disillusioned and cynical about politics, but when more people become aware and active, they are truly capable of making things better in their communities, states and ultimately the country,” he said.
McPhie said does quite a bit of independent research in order to keep up to date with the political world. He has met several candidates running for office in the state and has been following and promoting their campaigns.
American citizens have unique rights and privileges and to take them for granted is tragic, he said.
“One vote might be a small measure, but the exercise of civic duty goes much further,” McPhie said. “Democracy hinges on the participation of the people.”
Students don’t have to run for Congress to be involved, he said. They can read a newspaper, write a letter to their congressman, take a political science course and vote in November.
“Regardless of your background, your major, what you know, your level of interest or your ideology, being politically active is rewarding,” he said. “The only way your voice doesn’t matter is if you don’t do anything. Students have proven time and time again that they can be a driving political force, and we’re in a great position to do it again.”
Nathaniel Johnson, a senior majoring in political science, worked full-time as an intern for the Chris Stewart for Congress campaign for nearly eight months.
He helped plan events such as cottage and town hall meetings and fundraising events, including two events with Glenn Beck. He made phone calls for the campaign, helped with advertising and regularly attending meetings where strategy, finances and policy were discussed.
“Being aware and informed of who candidates are is critical for voters to elect high caliber representatives,” he said. “For the past nine months I have done just that – helped voters know more about my candidate.”
Natalie Brisighella, a junior majoring in political science, is on the executive board for the USU College Democrats.
“Our focus as a club is to create more political awareness and activity on campus and around the Cache Valley community,” she said.
She said each member of the College Democrats is involved for their own personal reasons, and they do not necessarily expect anyone else to agree with their views.
“We understand that politics may be a heated issue for many, and that’s why so many college students shy away,” she said. “Instead, the USU College Democrats simply want students to become more informed about the issues, participate and vote in local politics.”
The club says it is highly important for the community to know exactly who and what they’re voting for when election day comes.
“We’re not focused on who they vote for, but just that they vote.” Brisighella said.
Brisighella said she believes one of the largest concerns amongst students is voter apathy -some students just don’t care when it comes to politics. Because they live in a red state, many Democratic-leaning students don’t feel like their vote counts in the election so they simply don’t vote, she said.
“Whether you vote blue or red or any other color in this coming election, your vote matters,” said Brisighella. “You are one more student with a voice.”
Oakley Nelson, a junior majoring in political science, served as a legislative intern for Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. The internship led to the opportunity for him to serve in the Office of Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert during this past summer, he said.
“Some may say, ‘Sure, you helped put up signs and coordinate a county or state candidate race, but that’s not really a big deal.'” he said. “I take a sense of pride in knowing that I have reached out and made a difference in the future of what my generation will have to look forward to when we take the reins of various areas of leadership in both the public and private sectors.
Jorge Cabrera, a senior majoring in political science, is the USU campus coordinator for the Scott Howell for Senate campaign and a volunteer for the USU College Democrats.
His duties for the Howell campaign include getting the student body interested and involved with the campaign, locating interns and volunteers and organizing events for them to attend, assisting with phone banking and canvassing efforts and helping host candidate events in Logan, Cabrera said.
“We’ve been able to spread not only the word on the Howell campaign but about the democratic ideals and the voting process,” he said.
“To me, that’s a huge thing,” he said. “That means 43 more votes out there for the grab and two more helping bodies.”
-abhendrix@pentaracorp.com