Iowa, NE students relevant in elections

DES MOINES, IOWA - Sloane Cornelius never felt she could effect political change.

But there she was, on Feb. 9, sitting with her back to a wall in the Nebraska Union, surrounded by 207 student Democrats while waiting for the first caucus ever held in the Cornhusker state to begin.

For once, the sophomore vocal performance major felt plugged in to the nation's political system.

"We deserve this," Cornelius said. "A lot of us have never had a reason to care until now."

Next to her sat fellow University of Nebraska-Lincoln student Krystal Wilwerding. She jumped at the chance to tell nearby students that this caucus and this election represent history in the making.

"It's not just a new president," Wilwerding said. "I feel like a difference will be made. I finally feel like I'm an American."

The tight Democratic race in this primary season put the spotlight on many often-ignored primary states, including Nebraska.

Political activism among youth has become a hallmark of the 2008 presidential primaries, and it has affected college campuses across the country.

It began in Iowa, a state accustomed to the spotlight come primary season. But the election hoopla - including candidate speeches, campus forums and armies of young volunteers - has spread, all the way to California and Nebraska.

Students, not surprisingly, say they're glad to be relevant.

On Jan. 3, during the year's first primary, young voters across Iowa came out in the thousands to support their candidates on caucus day.

Aliza Rosenthal, a freshman psychology and religion major at Drake University in Des Moines, traveled from her home in Lawrence, Kan., during her winter break to caucus for Barack Obama on Drake's campus.

Rosenthal said she drove to Iowa to caucus because, most years, it's tough to get politically motivated in Kansas, a deeply red state with a much later primary.

"It's exciting to be in a position where it really matters that we're here," she said.

About 178 people filled the precinct where the majority of Drake students caucused. The actual event took place in a classroom, where posters from former candidates Chris Dodd and Mitt Romney hung next to signs about turning off cell phones during class.

In Iowa, six candidates from each party were still in the running. Candidate groups tried to tempt undecided students with food and promises: Chris Dodd's group touted doughnuts and experience while Hillary Clinton's group sported sandwiches and health care reform.

Caitlin Seick, a freshman journalism and English major at Drake, said getting involved during the political season was an important part of the Iowa culture.

"Younger people are criticized many places for not participating (in politics)," she said, "so it's important to go vote and caucus. If you're from Iowa, you have a chance to really make a difference."

It's true. Most years the Iowa caucus sets the stage for the rest of the country - most candidates picked from Iowa's Republican and Democratic caucuses have been selected as the party nominee for the last 20 years. This year, 65,230 Iowans under the age of 30 came out to caucus in favor of Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

Matt Patterson, a freshman biochemistry major at Drake, said he formed his opinion of the candidates when they visited Des Moines to speak at the school. "I can speak openly about my views here and that's totally acceptable," he said of Iowa's political scene.

Patterson and Rosenthal joined other students at Drake's Olmsted Student Center on caucus night. The center opened its conference rooms to students who needed a place to stay overnight while caucusing during winter break.

"Part of the mission statement of Drake University is to create engaged and global citizens, and voting is part of that," said Ericca Pollack, the director of residence life for Drake.

"Des Moines is the center of politics right now; we get all the candidates coming here. It's great to get so many people on campus and get them interested in voting."

Iowa, when compared to other states, is intensely focused on politics come primary season, which creates an energy that filters down to the campus level, Pollack said.

"It's almost impossible to not be involved," she said. "Our students' awareness of the world has impacted them to be more engaged."

Though Drake University is a small campus of about 5,000 students, its location in Iowa's capital city brings a lot of candidate traffic.

Dan Sadowski, president of the Drake student government, said the political season puts an "aura around campus."

"Knowing that you're in an early swing state means you're not locked into a candidate," Sadowski said. "Knowing that your involvement makes more a difference stimulates interest in students."

Youth turnout for the Iowa caucus tripled compared to 2004, partly because of youth activism groups such as the Rock the Caucus campaign, a coalition started by the Iowa Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), Rock the Vote and Michael Mauro, Iowa's Secretary of State.

In Ames, on the day before the caucus, PIRG field organizers handed out Rock the Caucus T-shirts to Iowa State University students at a John Edwards event at a local deli close to campus.

Throngs of students packed the brick-lined street and shivered in subzero temperatures to catch a glimpse of the North Carolina senator. Several people who couldn't shove their way into the deli peeked inside windows or stood outside to wait for Edwards' exit.

Erik Smith, one of the field organizers, said candidates need to pay attention to the student vote.

"Both parties have neglected young people before," he said. "Twenty-five percent of the electorate is 18 to 24-year-olds. They're not lazy; it's just a matter of engagement."