On Tuesday December 8, students gathered in Gustavus’ Konfer- ensum, Campus Center for anelection information meeting on the Democratic candidates of the presiden- tial election in November of 2016.
The night was broken down into four sections that highlighted democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The meeting con- sisted of discussing the views of both candidates and overseeing their pros and cons. Students were able to voice their opinions on both candidates. The stu- dents also learned how, when and where to caucus as they were trained in on it. Gusties for Hillary were even able to phone bank for an hour of the two-hour informational election meeting. Gusties for Bernie sat down at the end of the meeting to discuss Bernie and his ideas.
“I’m quite impressed that the Democratic Party has found both of these two because
I think they’re both really strong candidates.”
—Laura Carpenter
Both candidates are highly qualified and have a lot of experience. Hillary Clinton has an extensive resume, experience as the first lady and secretary of state. Bernie Sanders also has an extensive resume, along with a lot of experience with economical and environmental issues and as a Senator in Vermont.
“I’m quite impressed that the Democratic Party has found both of these two as I think they’re both really strong candidates,” Political Science major, Laura Carpenter said.
Even though the presidential election is still quite far away, students have not wasted any time trying to be and stay informed and up to date on the candidates. Gusties for Bernie and Gusties for Hillary have been tabling outside the cafeteria in order to provide opportunities for students to ask questions.
“I’d say Gusties are very politically opinionated; it’s just about getting them to speak out. I feel like a lot of them are pretty shy right now just because there’s so many candidates,” Carpenter said.
It might seem like the election is far away, but constantly staying up to date on the issues and beliefs of the candidates can help when it comes to make an informed decision.
“People haven’t really been thinking about the presidential election right now so it’s hard to gear towards what’d they want in one,” Communication Studies major, Adrienne Gruennes said.
“Take advantage of the events that happen, no matter who they’re in favor of, ask questions and be engaged because it’s that easy.”
-Adrienne Gruennes
Overall, Gusties for Hillary and Gusties for Bernie are making waves and starting to gain a lot of ground in advocating for people to become more involved in the campaign. As a first time voter, it can be intimidating and confusing on voting for a candidate. However, there are a lot of opportunities on campus to gain access to information in order to sort out the best candidate to vote for.
“Get involved on campus, we try so hard to make it really easy for people to get engaged in the election,” Carpenter said.
Minnesota allows voters the chance for same-day registration as well, where the voter can submit their ballot and register to vote all on the same day, which makes it extremely easy for everyone to cast their vote on election day and make it count. Gustavus will make it easy for the students to vote as well by providing transportation to the polls.
“Take advantage of the events that happen, no matter who they’re in favor of, ask questions and be engaged, because it’s that easy,” Gruennes said.