While the masses were preparing to see the Boston College Eagles take on Central Florida on Saturday, a handful of students representing BC Democrats were in attendance at the Students for Change rally at Boston University. Featuring Governor Deval Patrick, Congressman Michael Capuano (D-Mass.), and the Daily Show's Rob Corddry, the event drew roughly 250 students from across the state.
Speakers stressed the importance of getting as many people as possible registered to vote in time for the November election, with New Hampshire being one of the key battleground states in both the presidential and senatorial elections.
"The message I got out of it was that they want college students to spend as much time as possible in New Hampshire," said Melissa Roberts, vice president of BC Democrats and A&S '10. "We hope to be up there as much as we can."
Aside from several trips to New Hampshire being planned by the BC Democrats, volunteers are also working with the BC Republicans and the Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) in nonpartisan efforts to register students to vote.
"We're trying to engage as many new voters in the system as we possibly can," Roberts said. "We're registering as many people on campus as possible and making sure that students actually cast their ballots. For 90 percent of the students at BC, this is the first presidential election they've been able to vote in."
Roberts said that it is crucial for students to be aware of the major issues highlighting this election - particularly the economic developments of the past week and a half.
"[The economy] is definitely going to dominate the national conversation because of this crisis that we're facing right now," Roberts said. "Take, for instance, a student in CSOM who lost a potential employer in Lehman Brothers or AIG this past week. People are really facing the crunch and are starting to understand how these larger economic policies are affecting their day-to-day life."
As students and their families try to weather the tumultuous economy, BC administrators are keeping a close eye on the markets and maintain that the top priority is to make the system more transparent for everyone involved.
"The best thing going on is a level of awareness of students and families," said Bernard Pekala, director of student financial strategies at BC. "It's always important not to be too proud, not to ask for help."
Pekala believes that for most families, the economy has certainly gone up a few notches in relevance, particularly in terms of the election.
"I think we're in a period that is uncharted," Pekala said. "It's going to be an interesting couple of years because there is going to be a change in administration one way or the other. Once taxpayer money gets involved, it's time to look at the process and to be sure that everything is done in a transparent manner."
Speaking on the future of the economy, Pekala stated the importance of holding those accountable who have reaped rewards at the expense of the middle class, and of limiting future abuses that have such far-reaching impact as the collapse of the investment banking market for Americans.
Pekala believes that for BC students preparing for the business world, this current recession is as much of an opportunity as it has been a challenge thus far.
"In a brand new market, newly educated and on the edge might have an advantage in opening up new concepts and new approaches on how to finance," Pekala said. "They are not tainted by what was traditionally done."
Donald Hafner, vice provost for undergraduate affairs and professor in the political science department, weighed in on the election, saying that while the American public almost always votes on the basis of economic issues, "These events will heighten the awareness of the electorate."
"I certainly had the general impression that because the Republican Party has been much more into deregulation that it would get tagged with being responsible for the crisis which appears to be a result of insufficient caution," Hafner said.
Looking at both of the candidates, Hafner believes Obama has presented a better plan for the economy than McCain has thus far.
"For McCain, this has never been his strong suit," Hafner said. "Barack Obama's remarks over the past couple of days suggest that he's fairly specific and detailed about what it is he's proposing as a response [to the current crisis]."
Despite this, Hafner urges voters not to underestimate the importance of the congressional elections.
"However, the presidential election goes, it appears that the representation of the Democrats is going to get larger," Hafner said. "That means whoever the president is and whatever they propose has to involve the cooperation of a Democratic Congress."
With students assembling from around the state this past Saturday, Roberts is excited to witness the campaign process.
"It was a great turnout," Roberts said. "People were there from western Massachusetts and all sorts of different schools. It'll be exciting to watch and see how the tone of the election will be determined over the next month and a half."
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