Lindsay Pieper
Senior Staff Writer
As George W. Bush recites the Oath of Office before Chief Justice William Rhenquist during the 55th presidential inauguration at noon, Virginia Tech students will applaud excitedly for Bush’s reinstatement, display indifference or despairingly pack for a four-year trip to Canada. While the Tech community clearly demonstrates tremendous diversity, more students may eagerly anticipate the next four years under a Republican president.
“Virginia Tech is probably one of the most conservative campuses in the Commonwealth,” said John T. Krallman, news chair of the Young Democrats at Virginia Tech.
Lauren O’Neil, chairman of Virginia Tech’s College Republicans, suggested that conservatives possess the political majority at Tech because the majors students are enrolled in have bearing on their political preferences.
“There are more Republicans (at Tech) because Tech has more technical majors than ‘artsy’ majors. We have more engineering students than drama students. Plus there is the influence of a big Corps of Cadets and ROTC programs,” O’Neil said.
Krallman explained that these factors place Tech near the head of the conservative universities across Virginia.
“Our campus is certainly more conservative than James Madison University, and most likely more so than the University of Virginia,” he said.
According to Kellie Hanlon, vice president of the James Madison College Democrats, the JMU campus is mostly politically neutral, although liberalism may hold a slight majority.
“Overall (JMU) seems to be moderate and mostly apolitical. There did seem to be more (John) Kerry support than Bush, but that’s based on personal observation only,” Hanlon said.
To bolster support for Kerry prior to the election, the James Madison College Democrats presented Kerry’s daughter Vanessa as a guest speaker, held a debate with the College Republicans and volunteered at Kerry headquarters in Washington.
On the Virginia Tech campus, Krallman cited “Stand up for Change,” an event hosted by the Young Democrats showcasing some of the top politicians in Virginia, as a tool to gain support for Kerry. He further explained that the Young Democrats aided with voter registration and absentee ballots.
According to O’Neil, the College Republicans presented similar voting materials, participated in numerous forums and debates, passed out literature for Republican candidates in the district and sent students to battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
To increase membership, the College Republicans pass out flyers, hang up posters, advertise on listserves and use VTFacebook. O’Neil reported that the College Republicans have 82 official members with about 40 regular meeting attendees.
Krallman indicated that the Young Democrats maintain a core group of officers of about eight to 12 people with approximately 20 additional dedicated members, with peak attendance close to 80 people. And although the Tech student body maintains a conservative environment, Krallman said the Young Democrats still thrive. He explained that the openness of the organization along with the development of connections to other liberal oriented clubs spread their messages and increases membership.
“We are very open as a club, and you don’t have to agree with every stand of every member to be a member,” he said.
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