As the new school year kicks off, the College Democrats of Boston College (CDBC) and the Boston College Republicans (BCR) are beginning a new semester of recruitment and events.
Nick Doffek, CDBC president and A&S ’13, commented that the Democrats are “a very young club” with 1,700 listserv members and 25-30 active members.
After a revamping and renaming of the club in 2009, Doffek remarked that the club has grown in activity and membership, much of it due to a program for freshmen, the Progressive eXchange Committee (PXC), which pairs freshmen with mentors.
“The PXC spurs growth in the club and prepares freshmen for E-board leadership later,” Doffek said. “It’s a great way for freshmen to get involved in a club here at BC, which is sometimes a difficult thing to do.”
As a part of their involvement in the club, the freshmen bring speakers or host events on campus, in order to gain experience in event planning and interacting with administrators and students.
Furthermore, CDBC plans to host their annual Progressive Leadership Summit (PLS) which focuses on “how to foster a progressive agenda at BC,” according to Doffek. The event is held in tandem with the Women’s Resource Center and the Black Student Forum.
The Republicans have also recently attempted to change their image, focusing on recruiting students from a variety of backgrounds who are “tied together by being a Republican,” said Dan Sologuren, BCR president and A&S ’12.
The Republicans have over 1,400 listserv members with at least 80 attending a recent general membership meeting. Sologuren said that several club members are working with the campaigns of Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, both Republican candidates for the nomination for president in 2012.
They also have a similar mentoring program to that of the CDBC, where interested freshmen are matched with mentors on the E-board.
The Republicans have plans to bring a large scale speaker to campus in the spring, though the details have not been finalized. Sologuren said they might have a small speaker in the fall.
Sologuren also hopes to coordinate with the Massachusetts Alliance of College Republicans (MACR) in order to assist in campaign efforts for Republican candidates.
Both clubs are participating in the annual College Republicans and College Democrats dodgeball game this Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the Plex.
When asked about the upcoming 2012 elections, both presidents stayed true to their identities as Republicans and Democrats.
Doffek predicted that Obama would win in 2012.
“If there is one thing that Obama can do well, it’s campaign,” Doffek said. “I think he’s in a much better situation than the media is portraying him as.”
Doffek pointed out that Obama ran one of the best campaigns in history for his 2008 election, and that he will almost certainly raise the most funds for a 2012 re-election.
On the other hand, Sologuren said voters need only “look at Obama’s record” to realize a change in leadership is needed. “Americans need a leader that they can be confident in,” he said. ♦
