The Story

Make it Local to Make it Count

Aug. 1, 2008 | By Jonna Knappenberger, co-Editor in Chief

We go to college for different reasons. We want a career, friends, parties, connections. But I believe each individual leaves with an imprinted legacy of political involvement, anticipated or not.

But is it the right kind of political involvement?

Beyond the popularity of government, pre-law and public policy courses, our school is a hotbed of future politicians and activists.

Of course, the primary “political” groups that come to mind are the College Republicans and the Young Democrats. If the member numbers on the Facebook pages mean anything, it looks like the Dems are ahead, with 174 members, while the Republicans have 61.

This year’s presidential election will probably generate more participation. Obama has an office in Williamsburg, and McCain has one in Virginia Beach.

Students who are a little more to the left than normal sometimes join the College chapter of Students for a Democratic Society. The group sponsors peace rallies on street corners, carpools to larger protests and charity programs.

The most glaringly obvious legacy of political involvement at the College is our history. It’s difficult (for me at least) to be apathetic about politics and government when going to a school that graduated three U.S. presidents, three U.S. Supreme Court justices, ten Virginia governors and dozens of senators, representatives, diplomats and judges.

We can’t help but care when we’re right where it all started. I’m not bashful about our “alma mater of a nation.” I strongly believe we’re not just the alma mater of the past, but an alma mater of the future.

In my time as a news reporter, the Student Assembly always seemed to me the obvious training ground for future politicians. The SA takes its politics as seriously as the big-time politicians of Virginia take theirs. Personal relationships, secrecy, favors, publicity - the students are hashing it out now and not leaving it to be learned in the real world.

However, SA members never get mobbed by their constituents. We never hear of too much participation in student government.

To the detriment of all, non-SA students focus intensely on big politics and ignore the local.

I think we can call this the “apathy of the local.” It seems that the more local the issue or politician, the fewer the number of involved people. It happens across the country. We care more about electing a U.S. president, who may have an impact, than we care about electing a city council member or SA member, who most certainly will have an impact.

My theory is the government majors are biding their time, waiting to run for the attractive offices, trying to skip out on the local stuff.

Trying to skip the less glamorous steps on the ladder will not get leaders to the top. The real leaders will take each step at a time, earning experience through courage and hard work on the community level.

I admire students like Matt Beato (’09) and David Sievers (’07). Sievers launched a campaign in 2006 for a position on the Williamsburg City Council. Beato launched a similar campaign this year. Both won valuable experience, but lost the seat.

Last year, Beato got elected to the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District Board without campaigning. He and another student, Ben Strahs (’09), and Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert each got three write-in votes for the position. Beato’s name was drawn from out of a hat.

Colbert was not included in the drawing. Had he been, and had he won, it would have proved my point that there is a dearth of interest in local politics.

Students with the courage to run and lose will be the leaders on the Hill a decade from now. Those who bide their time will be left behind to defer to academia, lobbying or activism.

That’s not to say we won’t make tremendous activists. Members of groups such as the Student Environmental Action Coalition, Americans for Informed Democracy and CodePink will easily become the next high-ranking, narrow-issue activists.

It’s not an unreasonable or haughty prediction.

A few years ago, students at the College started Virginia 21, an “action-tank” that describes itself as the “first true generational advocate for young people: the AARP of the next generation.” The non-partisan group has chapters at many Virginia institutions, including one that is still active at its alma mater.

Perhaps I am optimistic in assuming that we get bitten by the politics bug at the College. But let’s make it local. And let’s make it an epidemic.


Jonna Knappenberger is co-Editor in Chief of The DSJ and a regular opinions contributor. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff.



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