The College Democrats and College Republicans are mobilizing their campus constituencies to jump-start a packed year of events that will include campaigns, debates and speakers.
While the two groups kicked off the 2006-2007 school year on Sept. 6 with general interest meetings occurring at the same time in opposite Ward auditoriums, they do occasionally work together. The Democrats and the Republicans will team up to increase voter registration at AU Friday with a joint Voter Registration Drive during the Artemas Ward Week barbecue from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. on the main quad.
The Democrats' first meeting drew 300 students, creating a packed auditorium that Dave Score, a freshman in the School of International Service, described as "powerful."
On the right end of the political spectrum, the Republicans drew just over 150 students to their own kick-off meeting. Although the College Republicans may have fewer members than the College Democrats, College Republicans President John Zevitas, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, said he doesn't see that as a problem.
"This year, the College Republicans are going to be more vocally active on campus," he said. "The student body will understand that there [are] always two sides to a debate. We are not going to stand by silently when unreasonable or inappropriate policies are implemented, or when other student groups make unjustified protests."
Zevitas said the focus of the College Republicans this year is to "educate the student body" through an Issue of the Month campaign, which will include speakers, events and opportunities on campus that correlate with each highlighted issue. Topics for this year include the war on terror and national security, immigration, judicial policy, fiscal policy, culture wars and the First Amendment, energy and global warming.
"The best Republicans are those that are well-educated and understand clearly why they feel the way they do about specific issues," Zevitas said.
The College Democrats are setting their sights outside the boundaries of AU's campus. Outreach Director John Cipriani, a sophomore in both the College of Arts and Sciences and SPA, said the College Democrats are entering a new era and plan to "professionalize and become more out there in the community, especially in the D.C. area."
Being active off-campus was a staple of the College Democrats' agenda last year and is a trend they hope to continue through campaign trips for Democratic candidates all over the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic, in addition to local campaigns and internship opportunities for their members, Cipriani said.
"We aren't trying to make up people's minds for them," he said. "We are interested in members who are interested in the candidates we support. We are trying to facilitate the linking of Democratic ideals with the AU community."
To learn more about either organization, students can visit their Web sites at aucollegedemocrats.org and aurepublicans.com.
