Monday night marked the revival of the Political Science Student Association, which was restarted after a hiatus of several years. The group, which had existed a few years before, had fallen into neglect until this year.
Due to the efforts of the Political Science department and junior Mark Dudley, the first meeting of the year was held in Seigle Hall and drew about 50 people.
The event’s attraction was Washington University Professor Jeff Smith, who also serves as a state senator and who lectured about the upcoming general election.
Dudley, the organizer of the Political Science Student Association (PSSA), said he feels that the association is an asset to the school.
“We’re definitely one of the stronger, more vibrant undergrad groups, and I felt not having an association for us left us out,” Dudley said.
Many other students were excited about the PSSA’s renaissance.
“It’s a good way to meet other people who are interested in politics. There’s nothing else [on campus] other than party-affiliated groups,” sophomore history major Natalie Wasserman said. Wasserman is also considering a major in political science.
The PSSA’s purpose is to advance the discipline of political science within the Washington University community and to bring together students from all backgrounds to discuss issues concerning political science in a balanced manner, according to Dudley.
“It’s hard to avoid partisanship, and the way we get around that is to make sure we get both sides,” Professor and Head of the Political Science Department Andrew Rehfeld said.
Even for the students in attendance not considering a political science major, Smith’s speech held relevance because they feel that the upcoming election is a matter of great importance.
“I’m not a U.S. citizen, so I was interested in what was happening in this election,” Cat Yeung, a sophomore from Toronto who is leaning toward a major in international studies, said. “I’ve heard a lot of people are nervous about this election, [and] I thought I’d find out more.”
Wasserman was also interested in Smith’s views.
“It’s a good opportunity to hear a voice in the midst of all the political opinions that are out there right now,” she said. Wasserman is from St. Louis and had heard of Smith in high school.
In his speech, Smith said that the media is much at fault for the trivialities people focus on in the election, especially since in surveys people agreed more with Democrats on issues, but felt more comfortable drinking a beer with Bush.
“The presidential campaign is covered in a way that we feel like we are almost acquainted with the candidates,” Smith said, noting that only presidential and town elections are the ones where voters are likely to select a candidate based on personality.
Smith was also concerned with Democrats’ ability to take advantage of Republicans’ mistakes. According to Smith, Democrats should drive home some facts about McCain.
“I don’t think we can turn the other cheek. We should be asking [how] a guy who doesn’t know how many houses he has and doesn’t know anything about the economy [can be president],” Smith said, although he did add that “McCain is absolutely honorable.”
The senator, however, does not want to focus simply on personal minutia. He thinks it is imperative for the campaigns to concentrate on real problems.
“The main challenge for the Obama campaign is to try to bring it back to the issues,” Smith said. “[There] is such a disconnect between the gravity of the issues we’re facing and the trivialities we are seeing [on television] every day.”
Smith is also concerned that if such issues do not come to the surface, the future will be freighted with problems.
“This is the first generation in history in this country facing a lower standard of living than the generation before,” he said.
Correction: Andrew Rehfeld is an assistant professor and is the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Political Science Department.
