Campus involvement after Election ‘08 shows promise

November 10, 2008 by Jessica Tripp 

Students still expected to remain active after campaign season

The recent election drove millions of young people away from their televisions and into the community, and UNLV students were no exception.

But what will happen to campus and student involvement now that the election is over?

Leaders at UNLV don’t predict students will go back into hiding. Even though the outcome of the presidential race has been decided, there are many more issues concerning politically minded students today.

“There are a lot of pressing concerns that we are facing, especially with the budget cuts,” said Student Body President Adam Cronis. “I think the students are going to involve themselves in a big way.”

With the tombstones around campus and Facebook groups with flourishing numbers, it is obvious that the students care about the budget cuts in their school.

However, that is not the only thing that will be keeping them involved.

Nathan Hanke, the assistant director of Student Involvement and Activities, pointed out that while the activities for the political groups on campus may decline, there are many more activities out there.

He stressed that the SIA does not believe the students will go back into hiding.

“‘What will I do next?’ will be the question,” Hanke said. “I believe our existing programs can capitalize on that newfound energy.”

While the SIA is not doing anything extra to promote groups on campus, Hanke said that the students will start noticing their current outreach and pick new groups on their own.

“Once you get a taste for being involved in the community, the mechanism may change but that involvement doesn’t,” Hanke said.

While he may be correct in that the new membership for the Young Democrats and College Republicans may flourish, the groups do not plan to sit on their heels now that the election is over.

They will continue to debate current political issues among themselves and plan to volunteer in the community as well.

“There will always be things we will disagree with from a Democratic congress and a Democratic president,” said Trent Harper, president of the College Republicans. “There are always politics. Even though it’s not a campaign season doesn’t mean politics will stop.”

Harper said that there are potentially three debates already planned between the College Republicans and the Young Democrats in the upcoming semester.

Hanke agreed with Harper and mentioned that even though the election is over, it is in no way far from students’ minds – there will be groups discussing the results, analyzing the election and talking about what they mean for our community.

“Let us summon a new degree of patriotism, of responsibility,” President-elect Barack Obama said in his acceptance speech, and UNLV students, whether for or against him, are doing that exact thing.

Discussions that have begun will not die and the flame that was started with the election will hopefully flourish into a bonfire of students getting involved in their school, their community and their world.