With the 2012 presidential election starting to take center stage in the media, it’s more important than ever to be up-to-date on political issues.
The Creighton College Democrats and College Republicans are organizations that work to keep Creighton’s campus informed and educated.
“Our activities are split between supporting campaigning outside of campus as well as doing things on campus to educate ourselves and the campus,” Joseph Burgess, Arts & Sciences sophomore and College Democrats president, said. “We also hold movie nights and speakers to educate people about events, candidates or the political scene in general.”
Burgess, who said he has always been interested in liberal and progressive policies, thinks both the College Democrats and College Republicans serve a purpose of creating political dialogue.
“We are responsible for making sure the various political organizations and the students they represent have a voice,” Burgess said.
Both the College Democrats and College Republicans work diligently to provide recognition for various underrepresented groups.
One of the things the College Democrats do is hold a charity bake sale to benefit Toys for Tots during Dead Week. In addition to this, next semester they are going to be begin working on various campaigns at both the local and national level and promoting domestic violence awareness on campus.
The College Republicans also work to raise awareness on campus. They set up the Sept. 11 flag display between Deglman and Swanson every year, as well as hold a diaper drive in conjunction with Creighton Students for Life.
“A lot of times [unready mothers will] be forced to have a child; this is a way to show we appreciate [their] decision to keep [their] child,” Chris Tooker, Business senior and former treasurer for the College Republicans, said.
The College Republicans also brought Bay Buchannan, the 37th Treasurer of the United States and conservative political commentator, to campus last year – an event that Tooker said he believes made people go out and think about what the issues are.
“People who were once adamant about Bay Buchannan came to the discussion and became more open,” Tooker said. “Without these organizations people would not do research, they just hear what the two sides of the media say.”
Both Burgess and Tooker, though they are affiliated differently politically, agree that students should be informed about politics.
“I think it is important for students to be knowledgeable about politics in America and abroad,” Burgess said. “[It is important] to be educated on the various political issues that affect us as students and citizens.”
Tooker said he believes it is not necessary to affiliate yourself with one party or another, but if you are passionate about issues you can find others who are as well and accomplish more.
“If you don’t care now, you can’t complain 5-10 years down the road if you did not educate yourself,” Tooker said. “You did not do everything that was necessary to succeed.”
Both the College Democrats and the College Republicans strive toward the same goal — to educate Creighton’s campus — and also contribute their unique ideas to get this job done.