-
1 of 10
-
2 of 10
-
3 of 10
-
4 of 10
-
5 of 10
-
6 of 10
-
7 of 10
-
8 of 10
-
9 of 10
-
10 of 10
Politically affiliated clubs abound at BSU
Archive
Comments
Story
Boise State offers many different ways for students to get involved in campus activities and the community. One of the best ways to do this is to join a politically affiliated organization.
BSU has four prominent politically affiliated groups: the College Democrats, the College Republicans, the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance, and Students for Liberty. Each of these groups has its own goals, both on campus and in the broader community.
The College Democrats is a group aligned with the National Democratic Party and as such support government aid and action as well as the protection of civil rights and liberties. This year, the College Democrats are putting their efforts into educating students.
“[Students] are the largest group with voter apathy,” said Nichole Koehler, president of the College Democrats. “Our primary goal is to educate and involve students in the political process.”
With that in mind, they will be hosting “Pizza and Politics,” a chance for students to meet Democratic state senators and representatives, said Koehler. The time and location are to be announced. There are also plans for a similar activity at Rollerdrome in Nampa that will be disco-themed.
The College Republicans are running an internship program with the Idaho legislators in order to build a relationship with them.
“We have about 35 people set up in the legislature. They’re looking for young conservatives they can trust to help run their offices, because they don’t have any paid staff …. now we just need to find students to fill those ranks,” said College Republican President Brandon Stoker.
More broadly, the College Republicans support many of the same goals as the National Republican Party.
That is, they support privatization of Social Security, tighter border security, and a grass roots conservative ideology.
On the other hand, the Idaho Progressive Student Alliance focuses on social, economic, and environmental justice, and this year something called the “Dream Act.” The Dream Act is an attempt to aid the undocumented children of undocumented workers here in the U.S., who would normally have little chance of going to college, by allowing them to become naturalized citizens.
The Idaho Progressive Student Alliance also welcomes any suggestions by interested students. Meetings are held Sundays at 5:00 p.m., in the SUB Boyington Room.
Finally, Students for Liberty is the resident libertarian party on campus. According to Robbi Blessin, student advisor to Students for Liberty, “[Libertarians] believe in personal and economic freedom. Meaning you should have freedom of your own body and … economic worth, as in the government is too big, and we need to reduce the size … that’s our big, big goal.”
This fall, Students for Liberty is working on getting the 2004 presidential candidate for the libertarian party, Michael Badnarick, to speak here at BSU.
Although this is not a major election year, Students for Liberty is involved in preparing a campaign for gubernatorial candidate Ted Dunlap.
Students for Liberty has also provided some numbers from a poll they conducted during the recent Organizational Fair on the Quad. According to their poll, out of 76 respondents, 34 percent were centrist (moderate), 26 percent libertarian, 25 percent liberal (Democratic), 9 percent conservative (Republican), and 5 percent were authoritarian. This poll can be found at www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html.
If any students are interested in contacting or joining a politically affiliated organization, contact information can be found at http://union.boisestate.edu/organizations/involve.cfm, under Services & Special Interests.
Micah McLaughlin / News Writer