College Democrats Phone Bank / Photo courtesy of College Democrats on Instagram @sbu_collegedems
BY CLAIRE FISHER, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With politics becoming the forefront of our generations’ topics of discussion, both College Democrats and College Republicans have become increasingly popular on campus. Natalie Merrill, sophomore and president of College Democrats, and Saidy Boyla, sophomore and president of College Republicans, work to make politics more tangible for the average student.
Merrill remarks, “So many people say that they ‘aren’t into politics,’ but just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t impact you or affect your daily life. Our goal is to encourage young adults to become engaged in their political environment. ”
To get students more involved, both clubs try to make meetings both engaging and informative. College Republicans meets once a week, planning debates and discussing current elections. They hope to take a group trip to the Conversative Political Action Coalition and partner with the Student Veterans Association for Labor Day events.
Similarly, College Democrats also have regular meetings engaged in both group bonding and political awareness. They host events such as phone banks and postcard writing to encourage voter turnout, trivia nights, Café Damietta events and more. In the long term, they want to co-sponsor an event with SBU for equality, focusing on pro-choice policy to balance our SBU for Life club.
At times, because of the serious nature of SBU Democrats and Republicans, students can often make assumptions. Boyla makes note, “I wish people wouldn’t be so quick to judge us,” she said. “I would like people to know that bias goes both ways, and it is important to respect the opinions and values of others, whether you agree with them or not.”
Boyla said she believes intolerance is never the correct way to express your views, which is an important precedent for an overall goal of unity and bipartisanship.
Both Boyla and Merrill are women running their club, a distinction they think is important.
Merrill describes, “There is such a historical male dominance in politics, so I think the fact that Saidy and I both lead the two political clubs on campus is representative of the way that our generation wants to change the status quo.”
This is one sentiment Merrill and Boyla adamantly agree on.
Boyla notes, “I admire that both clubs have strong women leaders. It makes the clubs feel inclusive, diverse, and equitable. It also sets a positive example for other women.”
Besides their inspirations, these clubs are important for other reasons. Despite the two clubs having seemingly opposing goals, they both strive for dialogue and the best for the nation.
Boyla says, “College Republicans provides a safe space for us to express our beliefs without bias. I know the same goes for College Democrats.We strive for inclusion and bipartisanship on campus, as well as in our country.”
While the country may be working for this dialogue, you can find it right here on campus. Even back in September, College Democrats and Republicans together hosted an event with Café Damietta, creating a roundtable discussion on the importance of voting in every election eligible. Going forward, both clubs agree they can accomplish more together than separate, and are planning more events to co-host.
Merrill notes, “At the phone bank, we all were eating snacks (yes, we provide snacks such as govern’mint’ cookies and “bipartisandwiches”) and laughing and having a good time,”she said. “It’s a great way to make a genuine difference and get involved in politics, while also having fun and making friends.”
Both clubs are welcoming to new members and invite you to follow their Instagram’s: @sbu_collegedems & @sbu.republicans.
fisherck21@bonaventure.edu
