2008 Woodie Awards
Campus activists want students involved
Election 2004 Special Edition
Jenn O'Callaghan
Issue date: 10/27/04 Section: News
As the number of days before the Nov. 2 presidential election become fewer and fewer, some may wonder if college students are aware of the election or if they care.
At Suffolk, there are various groups concerned with getting college students involved such as Suffolk Students for Peace and Justice, Suffolk University Democrats and Students for Bush.
Suffolk Students for Peace and Justice (SUSPJ) have been helping with voter registration and encouraging young people to get involved, supporting whomever they choose.
Suffolk Students for Peace and Justice, as a group, do not endorse a specific candidate because each member has a unique perspective on the election.
Jay Piques, a member of SUSPJ, has been pleased to see the outreach efforts that have been made to young voters through programs like "Rock the Vote." Nevertheless, in this election, he says, he could not vote for Kerry or Bush.
He will be voting for one of the third party candidates. His concern with the two party system of Democrats and Republicans is that, to reach the middle, both parties manipulate their platforms. A third party would "facilitate democracy."
John D'Agosta, another member of SUSPJ, also supports having an additional party become more involved. He expressed concern that mainstream media frequently ignores members of third parties.
During the second presidential debate, two third party candidates, David Cobb of the Green Party and Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party, attempted to enter and just observe the debate. However, they both were arrested and it was not a major story in the news.
To promote awareness of the upcoming election and promote the candidate each group supports, the Suffolk University Democrats and College Republicans participated in a debate.
It was an opportunity for each side to address students on why they should vote for Kerry or Bush. Some members of the Suffolk University Democrats have gone to New Hampshire and canvassed for John Kerry.