With the presidential election behind us, as students we must challenge ourselves to remain politically active in order to procure the best possible future world. Staying politically active means following the current political debates and figures, but it also means considering and challenging basic political philosophies. The College Republicans, College Democrats and other political groups are faced with the task of continuing to engage the political excitement and curiosity that was ignited by the election. This year, the Washington University College Republicans have displayed a record of working to bring political speakers to campus in order to challenge students’ political ideas, but it remains to be seen whether the College Democrats—the biggest of the campus political organizations— can do the same.

Aside from the vice presidential debate, which were arranged by the Washington University administration, two of the most charged political events in recent campus history have been sponsored by the College Republicans who secured funding from Student Union. Despite the fact that many students disagreed with the speakers, the speeches by Alberto Gonzales and Karl Rove attracted significant portions of the student body. Both caused discussion and debate, leading many students to gain a greater under-standing of controversial political decisions.

For their part, the College Democrats have not brought thinkers that have stimulated the same level of dialogue on campus. Though they worked with the Assembly Series to bring in Mo Rocca and helped a significant number of students canvass and volunteer for Obama and other local political campaigns, they have not put on any major event that has stimulated the campus as much as the two sponsored by the College Republicans.

The College Democrats should be working to offer this type of opportunity to students as it has proven to be one of the most effective ways to inform students of political issues. In an opinion-editorial submission defending his decision to approve funding for Karl Rove, Student Union treasurer William Osberghaus wrote, “If the College Democrats would like to bring a large name speaker to campus this semester, I would be fully open to such a possibility. There is only one problem: The College Democrats have yet to appeal for one.” (Student Life, Oct. 31).

Post-election, many students are experiencing a political withdrawal, making this an opportune time to tap into their political sentiments. Both the College Republicans and College Democrats should work to keep students enthused and active. But, there is a specific need for the College Democrats to step up and do their part to keep Washington University students actively connected to current political views. The College Republicans have initiated two major political events during the past year; it’s time for the College Democrats to get to work.

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Tags: 2008 election, college democrats, college republicans

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 8:27 pm and is filed under Forum, Staff Editorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through this feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.