The modern news cycle has become a dizzying parade of minute-by-minute updates on the Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses, as well as the novel coronavirus, outpourings of praise and blame for President Trump, personal attacks on individuals and organizations alike from across both sides of the political aisle, complicated discussions on more nuanced issues in foreign and domestic affairs, and far, far more. But how are the political clubs on campus, College Democrats of Stevens (CDS) and College Republicans, acting in response to the undeniably turbulent political landscape modern America finds itself in?
At their joint, voting-themed general body meeting (GBM) on Wednesday, March 4, the two clubs focused on educating attendees about how voting works, how to register to vote, and some of the history behind the current voting system. They gave an extensive presentation on the topic, starting by summarizing the results of Super Tuesday (the consequential day when 14 states hold primary elections) and finished with a lighthearted slide full of relevant political memes. It also included information about voter constituencies, voter fraud, the history of suffrage laws, voter registration and absentee ballots, the electoral college, gerrymandering, campaign finance, different kinds of voting systems, varying primary and caucus systems for different states, and more. The presenting executive board members launched into discussions with the audience at multiple points, particularly when it came to the pros and cons of the electoral college and strategies for combating gerrymandering. The two organizations’ executive boards stressed that educating students about voting, and increasing awareness about political issues in general, are central to the missions of their clubs, citing low turnout among young voters as a major driving factor.
The two clubs also stressed the importance of creating a safe space to hold discussions about politics. “For a lot of people who aren’t familiar with the issues it can be hard to get started in politics, especially if they are afraid of being ridiculed or laughed at for not knowing what’s going on, so we want to create a safe, low-pressure environment where students can comfortably learn and form their own opinions about the issues,” the two executive boards said in a joint statement. They also stressed that the lack of political discussions in everyday life at Stevens was a major problem in their eyes, and they felt that perpetuating the current stigma that has arisen about talking about politics will only increase polarization and political division in the country and at Stevens. Holding joint GBMs and events is part of their efforts to fight against this stigma by forming relationships between the two clubs. To the same end, they are also working on holding a debate workshop to educate people about how to convey their points professionally and without triggering people with differing viewpoints. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything [about politics], go to both clubs! This is a safe space to learn and express ideas,” said Robby Russo, President of College Republicans.
Outside of GBMs, the two clubs have been hosting events and fostering discussions in their large public group chats. They held a joint debate in the fall that had an exceptional turnout, with more students showing up than could fit in the classroom; the SITTV recording of the debate has over 700 views. College Republicans will host Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s former CEO Andrew F. Puzder on campus to speak about American business and the economy on March 26, and CDS is in the process of bringing their own speakers to campus. For the fall semester, the clubs expressed interest in holding voter drives to increase student turnout in the general election. Both clubs also have very active group chats, where students talk frequently talk about issues facing the country; any student who would like to join these chats or get more information about anything discussed in this article can reach out to the clubs’ presidents at aelkhafi@stevens.edu (Alyaa Elkhafif) for College Democrats of Stevens or rrusso2@stevens.edu (Robby Russo) for College Republicans. For upcoming events and meetings, check out their DuckLink pages linked above.
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