What a year
Adam Yu
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Op/Ed
This has been nothing short of an extraordinary academic year, especially in the realm of politics. The United States went through the historic 2008 Presidential and Congressional elections and experienced a major transition of power in Washington D.C. The excitement of politics made its way to Muhlenberg and our student body set the bar high in political activism and participation. One group in particular stood out this year as a rising star within the student body, the Muhlenberg College Republicans.
The College Republicans deserve some recognition, not for partisan reasons, but for their inspiring revival and success. This group had some humble beginnings and received little attention here at Muhlenberg. It is safe to say the last major scene of the College Republicans, before 2008-2009, was during the 2004 Presidential Election. After the election of a new leadership team in spring of 2008, the organization came back to life the following fall.
Since September of 2008, the Muhlenberg College Republicans have displayed their commitment to bringing their side of the political spectrum to this campus. They designed a 9/11 Memorial that honored the 2,977 lives that perished, built a mock Berlin Wall on the day the actual wall fell and symbolized the defeat of Communism, and they organized 2nd Amendment Day to educate the student body about our Constitutional rights. The College Republicans have been engaged in political activism as well. They volunteered with the McCain/Palin campaign and made phone calls, they went door-to-door with Mike Welsh, and stood at the polls handing out fliers for Charlie Dent. In addition to these events, there has been an uplifting sense of cooperation between the College Republicans and other student groups. They co-hosted the Voter Education Forum with the College Democrats and ENACT, hosted Rep. Charlie Dent with MUFI, and brought Senator Arlen Specter to speak along with the College Democrats.
The academic year of 2008-2009 has truly shown the ability of a dedicated group's ability to pull itself out of the dark and into the limelight. The College Republicans have worked hard and have made a name for them the good old-fashioned way. Hopefully their story can serve as inspiration for other students to become active.
The College Republicans deserve some recognition, not for partisan reasons, but for their inspiring revival and success. This group had some humble beginnings and received little attention here at Muhlenberg. It is safe to say the last major scene of the College Republicans, before 2008-2009, was during the 2004 Presidential Election. After the election of a new leadership team in spring of 2008, the organization came back to life the following fall.
Since September of 2008, the Muhlenberg College Republicans have displayed their commitment to bringing their side of the political spectrum to this campus. They designed a 9/11 Memorial that honored the 2,977 lives that perished, built a mock Berlin Wall on the day the actual wall fell and symbolized the defeat of Communism, and they organized 2nd Amendment Day to educate the student body about our Constitutional rights. The College Republicans have been engaged in political activism as well. They volunteered with the McCain/Palin campaign and made phone calls, they went door-to-door with Mike Welsh, and stood at the polls handing out fliers for Charlie Dent. In addition to these events, there has been an uplifting sense of cooperation between the College Republicans and other student groups. They co-hosted the Voter Education Forum with the College Democrats and ENACT, hosted Rep. Charlie Dent with MUFI, and brought Senator Arlen Specter to speak along with the College Democrats.
The academic year of 2008-2009 has truly shown the ability of a dedicated group's ability to pull itself out of the dark and into the limelight. The College Republicans have worked hard and have made a name for them the good old-fashioned way. Hopefully their story can serve as inspiration for other students to become active.