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March/April 2008 GW Students Gear Up for 2008 Election
By Julia Parmley With the 2008 presidential election looming, GW students are working overtime to rally their classmates, spread their candidates’ messages, and get out the vote. Information on voting is only a mouse click away for students due to the efforts of the GW Student Association. In 2004, the Student Association launched a nonpartisan initiative to encourage undergraduate students to register to vote. The result—the GW Votes Web site—includes national politics and helps students navigate the absentee ballot process. GW Votes Director Chloe Lew and Student Association leaders have worked since summer 2007 to prepare the Web site for the upcoming election. Lauren Manasevit, director of public relations for GW Votes, says 288 students have registered at the site, which has had more than 840 visits since its launch in November 2007. “Students seemed to find the process of voting a challenge, especially absentee voting while at school,” says Manasevit. “Since voting is critically important in both a national sense and as an outlet for young people, it falls under the scope of the Student Association to help students with the voting process.” Manasevit says it is clear that a large number of GW students are informed and engaged when it comes to politics. “The characteristics of GW, such as proximity to the White House and other government buildings and its strong political science and international affairs programs, attract students with an interest in civic responsibility and participation,” she says. “GW really is one of the best universities for a student interested in a political career, and this academic interest in government carries over into student life on campus.” Student political organizations also are busily preparing for the elections. Senior Chris Brooks, chairman of GW College Republicans, says the organization’s members are active in Republican campaigns. Recent activities include conducting a phone bank for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and hosting debate parties in the Marvin Center. “This election is important for our generation because we’ve never seen an open presidential election,” says Brooks. “It’s ripe for students to get involved. We encourage students to select a candidate and advocate for him or her, and to reach out and vote. This is the heart of American democracy and a way to make a difference.” Tanya Choudhury, president of GW College Democrats, says her organization counts more than 2,100 members. “Next fall, we will have multiple campaign opportunities for students, including canvassing around Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, as well as campaigning in important battleground states,” says Choudhury. “We will also focus on voter registration and encourage students to send in their absentee ballots and have their voice heard in 2008. We will hold on-campus campaign rallies, conduct voter education, and host speakers—anything we need to get students excited about the election.” Choudhury says a popular GW event is the “Blue Room” and “Red Room” on election night, co-hosted by the College Democrats and College Republicans. “We always look forward to these election night parties—you can just feel all the energy on campus centered on the election,” she says. Individual students also have dedicated a significant amount of their time and put their heart into campaigns. Sophomore Tobin Van Ostern became involved with presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) campaign through the popular social networking Web site Facebook. Van Ostern became a leader in the site’s Students for Barack Obama group, but he wanted to do more than just support the candidate online. In November, Van Ostern joined Meredith Fegal, a senior at Bowdoin College, to form Students for Barack Obama, which now has more than 700 chapters across the country. Van Ostern says they were approached by Obama’s campaign in January 2007 to organize a rally for the Washington, D.C, metropolitan area. More than 3,500 people attended the rally in February 2007 that Van Ostern coordinated at George Mason University, and, since then, Van Ostern has been actively involved in Obama’s campaign. He spent summer 2007 in Obama’s Chicago headquarters and traveled to Iowa and New Hampshire during winter break. “Youth voting is something I’m committed to,” says Van Ostern, who was recently featured in The Washington Post for his work. “Young people are realizing that what the government does has a huge impact on their lives. GW students in general tend to be more interested in politics,” he says. “Students are very up to date about what’s going on.”
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