As we near a new election, students all over are registering to vote, learning more about political views and forming their own opinions. Here on our campus, there are several political organizations for students to get involved with. Two of the more known are The University of Alabama College Democrats and the College Republican Federation of Alabama.
Junior Kyle Campbell is external affairs director of the UA Democrats. He is majoring in political science and entering his third year in the organization.
“This year, we plan to grow in membership and get students involved in various local initiatives, as well as campaigns for 2016,” Campbell said. “Primaries start in February, so presidential campaigns are in full swing. We offer students access to those campaigns as well as an avenue to get involved in the community and meet like-minded students who share common goals.”
Both organizations were at Get On Board Day (GOBD), both with plenty of students filling up their email lists.
“Our goal this year is to grow the organization by a couple hundred people and really get students involved in the presidential campaign,” said senior Michael Cleveland, chairman of the UA Republicans. “We want college kids to know that this next election is going to be really important to our generation.”
Cleveland said the UA Republicans plan on having guest speakers at their meetings as well as having political debates with the UA Democrats and the Young Americans for Liberty.
“We’re trying to get some presidential candidates to come speak this year, and we’re going to have some senators and representatives to come speak and that will be announced weekly,” Cleveland said.
Dane Burgos, a freshman majoring in psychology, signed up on the email list of the UA Democrats at GOBD.
“I’ve always been a democrat and to the left side of issues,” Burgos said. “I wanted to join something that will make a difference. Growing in my Catholic faith has led me to believe that it doesn’t have to get in the way of your social views.”
Another option for getting involved with politics is the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), a non-partisan group that focuses on different issues that deal with the rights and liberties of Americans. Junior Jessica Nicholas, president of YAL, said they have multiple events lined up for the year and hope to promote themselves further.
“Our goal for YAL is to recruit as many members as possible this year to not only promote liberty, which is what we believe and stand for strongly, but to educate students on the daily infringements upon our liberty,” Nicholas said.
Some of their events include having a table set up on the Quad to invite new members and having guest speakers.
“This year we’ll be hosting several speakers, such as conservatives concerned about the death penalty, FIRE, a free speech organization, Drug Policy Alliance, and more,” Nicholas said. “We have several activism events coming up such as Incarceration Nation, where we build a mock jail and educate students on the mass incarceration in the United States. We hope these events will help students better understand the type of policy that is currently going on in the U.S.”
Campbell said he hopes students will find a place in their organization, whether it be to get involved or simply to further inform themselves.
“People who want to work with, talk about, or simply learn about the Democratic Party at any level will find no better home than in UA College Democrats,” Campbell said. “We’re an inclusive organization that welcomes all viewpoints and lifestyles, and our shared values are those that will move this campus, state and country forward.”
Cleveland shared a similar view, speaking from his own motivation to be politically involved in college.
“I definitely want to get college kids involved politically and let them know they have a voice and why it’s important to vote,” Cleveland said. “Any student who wants to get involved with the presidential campaign should come to the meetings on Tuesdays and we’ll get them involved with whichever candidate they want to help out.”
