Building better citizens
St. Olaf College student Monica Southworth didn’t know what to expect when she enrolled in the J-term course, “The New Hampshire Primary and U.S. Presidential Politics.” But she packed her suitcase and went to New Hampshire and later South Carolina to spend almost a month with 19 other St. Olaf students in a unique classroom and internship experience.
Southworth volunteered at the Manchester, N.H. headquarters for the Barack Obama campaign and did everything from sign-making to phone and door-to-door canvassing to data entry. “I was glad to have all these experiences,” she said. “I never thought about all the work and planning that goes on in every county and state.”
Fellow “Ole” Andrew Foxwell chose to work with the John McCain campaign. “The first night I was on the campaign I walked into the office and got asked if I could head to an event. I agreed and 10 minutes later I was helping out with an event for the Senator and 10 minutes after that I was holding the door open for him and shaking his hand. I can't begin to tell you how perfect it was,” he said.
Foxwell observed, as did Southworth, the passion and hard work that goes with campaigning. “It is awesome to witness first-hand the amount of dedicated work it takes to run for the highest office,” he said.
Students’ comments and experiences are documented on the Star Tribune blog Oles in ’08.
Helping students get engaged
Political pundits suggest that the youth vote could transform the 2008 election. While it may be too soon to tell, students at Minnesota’s private colleges and universities are getting engaged in this campaign. It’s making them better citizens — and this, of course, is the point.
Dan Hofrenning, the St. Olaf political science professor who developed the New Hampshire course and internship, wanted students to study politics and have an opportunity for engagement. “Activism can enliven the intellectual experience. And an academic foundation can imbue activism with the kind of perspective necessary for thoughtful citizenship,” he said. “My hope was that combining study and action would lead to the kind of balanced yet passionate activism that can transform the political process.”
Professor David Woodard at Concordia University, St. Paul felt that he got lucky this year. His “Introductory American Government” class is on Tuesday evening so he had a captive audience on caucus night, Feb. 5. “I simply want my students to see how direct democracy works at the local level. They are never taught much about this level of government so caucuses were a great place to see regular people having an impact on the local and community political system,” Woodard said.
Kowsar Mohamud, one of Woodard’s students who grew up in a non-democratic country, had never participated in politics. “I thought since I could not vote, there is no need to partake in it. However, the caucus was life-changing,” she said. “First, it was interesting to watch democracy in action. Second, I find this system very complex, and there is no better way to learn than to be part of it.”
Preparing for caucuses
Will Howell at Macalester College has had a very different experience — as the student outreach director for the Al Franken for Senate campaign. As part of a 10-College Tour last fall, he talked with students on private and public campuses in Minnesota. “We had hundreds of students every time. It was really wonderful to see them that interested,” he said.
Howell conducted numerous caucus trainings at campuses and other Minnesota locations. “People thank me for making the process accessible,” he said. “Some told me they had a better grasp of what was going on at the caucus than the conveners. I’m very proud to have made a difference.”
The weekend before the Minnesota caucuses, Augsburg College student Beth Florence was chosen to introduce Senator Clinton at a rally on campus. “Despite my immense fear of public speaking, I could not possibly say no,” she said. Florence escorted Clinton and former Vice President Walter Mondale to the stage and found it to be a surreal experience. “It was a truly inspiring and empowering sight to see so many young faces and fellow classmates in the crowd. Senator Clinton revived something inside of me, not only as a U.S. citizen but as a student and a young voice. I value being a politically- and socially-aware student and using my knowledge as a catalyst for change.”
Ripple effects 
Students who get involved in campaigns find that they learn a lot, but it can be a difficult balancing act with schoolwork. Emily Larson leads the student group “Oles for Obama” and helped organize a Jan. 30 rally at St. Olaf with actor Dule Hill who is stumping for Obama. “Some days when I spent four to six hours on the campaign, it was hard to find the energy to finish that reading sitting on my desk,” she said.
The benefits are far-reaching though. Larson admits that she now better understands the importance of respect for dissenting opinions and political preferences. “It isn’t just about supporting those who agree with you, but also those who differ from you,” she said. Southworth echoes Larson’s sentiment. “My roommates have different views than I do, but we talk about it openly and without anger. It’s valuable when you can remove prejudice against opposing opinions,” she said.
Civic engagement provides other lessons too. “By getting involved, I now know how to do this and I care more about what’s going on,” Southworth said. “Participating is so important.” Foxwell concurs. “Because I’ve dedicated countless hours to this campaign, I know the full story about candidates and their messages. So much information comes from just acting as a sponge in the political process,” he said.
In Howell’s view, engagement means different things to different people, but ultimately it’s all about our right to vote. “You can cast a vote on behalf of someone who’s fighting in Iraq or people who don’t have health care. The simple act of voting is so meaningful,” he said.