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Historic election attracts local college students

By Stacie N. Galang
Staff Writer
Published: October 10, 2008

Salem State senior Quin Gonell sent an e-mail blast to 10,000 fellow students, posted 1,000 fliers and sent an invitation through a social networking Web site for a rally at the college this week.

The senior has been front and center with the college's political activism, organizing voter registration drives and drumming up support for the rally.

"I believe being an election year, there's more interest than usual," said Gonell, a double major in history and political science.

He is among a growing number of college students energized by a precedent-setting presidential election.

Once-apathetic students have been inspired to participate in the political process in ways they haven't in recent election cycles.

They're reviving defunct political clubs, registering to vote as soon as they're 18 and turning out in droves to watch the debates together.

On Salem State's commuter campus, students tend to be more occupied with their jobs than with extracurricular activities, Gonell said. But this year isn't like any other.

"I feel like it's slowly changing," he said.

Election buzz at Endicott

Endicott College in Beverly also has seen a transformation.

"It went from a pretty apathetic campus, in my opinion, to being a politically engaged campus," said Endicott College senior Matt Gelineau. "I don't know if it's the temperature of the situation, but people have become very politically engaged."

Gelineau is one of six students who approached college President Richard Wylie this fall about forming a nonpartisan Political Awareness Coalition at the liberal arts college, which has 1,815 students.

"There were things here and there across campus, but I kind of wanted to string it together," he said.

He is optimistic that interest won't wane after the election.

"I think students are becoming more citizen-like rather than being consumer-like, and it's a good thing," Gelineau said.

Sara Quay, dean of Endicott's School of Education, said Wylie pledged $100,000 a year ago to foster political discussion and funded five faculty projects, which in turn spurred student interest.

And her own informal student polls revealed that a "surprising" 85 percent had registered to vote.

"That's huge," she said. "I thought maybe one-third."

The campus is abuzz, she said, with talk of the presidential election.

"I think in general the public is more engaged, and I think our campus also is," she said.

Christian campus clubs

About four miles north at Gordon College, a nondenominational Christian campus, two students have resurrected long dormant political clubs this fall.

For sophomore Jessica DeVivo, politics and her Christian faith are closely tied. She's starting the College Republicans.

"I just have a passion for political issues — keeping marriage between a man and a woman, taxes, all those Republican ideals," said DeVivo, who has yet to declare a major.

The club is not official yet, but feedback so far is positive.

"There's a good amount of people interested in it," she said. "I'm really optimistic in it growing."

This isn't just any presidential race, she noted.

"I would say, definitely, I see an enthusiasm especially because this is a pivotal election," she said.

When Gordon sophomore Alec Lewis heard about the College Republicans, he decided to bring back the College Democrats.

"I originally felt like I was sort of called to be involved with student government and prayed about it," he said. "I really felt more led to get people understanding what happens in politics."

Lewis also hoped to dispel notions about Christian voters: they're not all conservatives.

"Evangelicals are very diverse in what they believe politically," he said.

"This election is very important," said Lewis, a double major in political studies and theater. And students are concerned about the future, he said.

Their professors, too, are seeing a higher level of interest in the election.

Nearly 100 Gordon students gave up a Friday night to watch the first presidential debate together.

"We were just amazed that by the time 9 o'clock rolled around, there were probably 80 or 90," said communication arts professor Nate Baxter. He and other organizers would have considered it a good showing if 40 students attended, especially given the blustery weather.

"If that's a measure of their attention and interest, that to me is heartening," he said. "It far exceeded our expectations."

Baxter said students seem more invested and aware than in the last two presidential election cycles.

"It seems like the sense is that the stakes are higher, and there's a potential for some kind of change," he said.

Absentee ballots

While Wenham Town Clerk Frances Young couldn't be sure if more Gordon students had registered to vote, she has seen a marked increase in the number of absentee ballots from students away at college.

"I would think it's quite a lot more," Young said. "As soon as they turn 18, they're coming in and registering. It's wonderful."

Linda Tawse, Beverly's assistant registrar of voters, said she's getting piles of voter registration forms daily.

"It's great," she said. "It's overwhelming. ... Everybody wants to vote."

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