Many Virginia Tech students such as Kate Maxwell are preparing to vote in their first presidential election, but this political science major is exerting her influence in arenas beyond the voting booth.
The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., was her most recent stop, in her role as a Virginia state delegate to the Republican National Convention.
In May, she attended the Republican Party of Virginia Convention in Richmond. There, Maxwell ran for and won an "at-large" delegate spot to represent Virginia at the RNC.
Maxwell, 20, said she was clearly the youngest participant.
"There were no other college students," Maxell said.
College Republicans chairman Carlin Crowder said Maxwell's enthusiasm is noticeable to both college students and adults.
"She has a passion and a dedication that few people her age or any age possess," Crowder said.
Maxwell plays the statewide role of political director for the College Republicans of Virginia.
"I'm basically a volunteer coordinator," Maxwell said. "I'm the liaison between the McCain campaign and all the congressional campaigns to college campuses across Virginia."
College Republicans adviser and director of special initiatives Judi Lynch said Maxwell worked hard to earn opportunities and responsibility.
"I think it boils down to commitment, enthusiasm and belief in what she stands for," Lynch said.
Lynch is the Republican delegate for Virginia's ninth district. Maxwell was elected as an "at-large" delegate, not representative of a specific district of the state.
Volunteering is where Maxwell marks her beginnings. She affirmed that it's possible for anyone to make his voice heard.
"Start getting involved. If I can be a delegate, any college student can do it. It's not out of reach at all," Maxwell said.
Maxwell said all college students have the ability to affect politics, even if they haven't earned a seat in St. Paul.
"I think a lot of people feel a little disconnected, they feel like they can't effect things in college, but they really can," Maxwell said. "It's amazing how much affect the College Republicans have on the campaign. We do so much great work, and we're free volunteers. It's hard to argue with that."
Maxwell traces her interest in politics back to childhood.
"I took to it when I was very young," Maxwell said. "My parents were involved in politics. They weren't elected officials or anything, just volunteers. I fell in love with it early."
Now she will be organizing volunteer efforts across the state, including the Republican campaign at Tech.
Maxwell said she is pleased with the progress of the College Republicans to this point.
"We've already doubled our membership this year," Maxwell said. "If people are thinking they might want to vote for the McCain ticket but don't know much about it, that's what we're here for."
Among the issues facing college communities in this election, Maxwell is looking for a solution to America's energy problems.
"I think one of the central issues of the campaign is energy and exploring new sources of energy, such as offshore drilling in Alaska, but it's not just that," Maxwell said. "It's solar energy, it's wind power, and it's nuclear power. It should really be all of the above."
Maxwell said vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's speech highlighted her trip.
Details of her experience at the RNC can be heard at the next College Republicans meeting on Wednesday.
"We couldn't be more proud that she's a student of Virginia Tech and a hard-working member of the College Republicans," Crowder said.
The College Republicans hold their meetings every Wednesday at Montgomery County Republican headquarters, located on Main Street in downtown Blacksburg next to The Cellar restaurant.
Leave a comment 11 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
There was a high school kid who was the youngest delegate there. He was on NPR. What's Google?
Reply to this Top
Follow the advice of the good Doctor Congressman Ron Paul. Vote for the third party candidate of your choice to break the stranglehold of our failed two party system. They fund their conventions with our tax dollars and set up the Commission on Presidential Debates to exclude any views from the debate spotlight that might highlight their hypocrisy and shortfalls. How can a third party candidate get attention for their ideas and wake people up to reality if they're shut out of the debates for not polling high enough? The majority of Americans want third party participation in the debates, but Republicans and Democrats are terrified of it. They don't want to share their power. Republicans and Democrats offer essentially the same things: continued disregard for our Constitution, more interventionist foreign policy, more nation building, more budget deficits, more money borrowed from China, inflation, currency devaluation, and failed big government debacles like No Child left Behind which trained most of you students reading this how to be good little test takers rather than learned scholars and critical thinkers. There IS a better way! Ron Paul Revolution! Google Ron Paul, Bob Barr, or Chuck Baldwin.
Reply to this Top
The MAJORITY of Americans want third party representation? Give a break. I'm not against it, but to try to claim a majority wants it when the majority of Americans never thought beyond registering as a member of one of the two major parties is a bit much.
Reply to this Top
In 2004 a Zogby poll found 57% of Americans wanted a third party in the Presidential Debates. A Fox News poll in 2007 found that 45% of Americans thought it would be good if a third party candidate actually won the election and 67% said they would vote for an independent candidate. A recent 2008 Zogby poll found that 55% of voters want Bob Barr, the Libertarian Candidate, to participate in the Presidential Debates. If you require further persuasion, just Google it my friend. (Note: I tried to submit this with links to articles about the first two polls I mentioned, but got an error message that I had too many links. You can find the stories on OpenDebates dot org and Fox News dot com) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/20/voters-want-barr-in-debates/
Reply to this Top
PS to Anonymous: In Virginia, you register to vote. There is no such thing as being a registered member of a party in the eyes of the State Board of Elections. As a result, you can choose each election cycle whether you want to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. You cannot vote in both primaries for one election. Last year the Virginia GOP attempted to force registered voters who wanted to vote in the GOP Primary in January to sign an oath prior to voting that they would support the GOP nominee no matter who it was. After public outcry, they decided against the oath requirement.
Reply to this Top
Get your Ron Paul crap out of here, nobody gives two hoots.
Reply to this Top
Revolutionary: You're full of crap. Wording of questions asked and presentation of polls can be shown to illustrate just about anything you'd want...and your hocus pocus about being able to switch voting despite being a registered dem or repub is bull too... just take your toys and go home.
Reply to this Top
Good try, Revolutionary, but keep in mind that a request for the inclusion of the candidate does not necessarily translate into a promise of support (in terms of voting). I'd like to see 3rd party candidates in the debates too - they rarely hold policies broad enough to attract large swaths of the population, but they help coax the candidates of the major parties towards the more popular ideals of the day. There's a huge difference, though, between desiring more information (ie, including a 3rd party in a debate) versus desiring the sorts of change 3rd party candidates offer.
Reply to this Top
To Anonymous: Polls can indeed be manipulated, but if you have more accurate, statistical gauge public support for the inclusion of third party candidates in national debates rather than your own personal feelings about the matter, please share it. Furthermore, I suggest you educate yourself about the Open Primary system that is practiced here in the Commonwealth of Virginia before making factually inaccurate claims. According to the Washington Post on Nov 29, 2007 Virginia "does not require voters to register by political party, which means a voter can decide on the day of the primary whether to participate in the Republican or Democratic primary." >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> To puhleez: The principles of freedom, liberty, and following the constitution are far bigger than one man. I'm sorry you feel the need to belittle that.
Reply to this Top
To Everyone: Do you disagree with the fact that the two parties offer little meaningful choice and whether we elect Obama or McCain we will get four more years of foreign interventionism, nation building, deficit spending, borrowing from China or printing it out of thin air, currency devaluation, inflation, etc.? Do you really expect that after 30 years of empty promises to evangelicals that the GOP will legislate morality more so than we do now (e.g. ban abortion)? After years of empty promises and flipflops do you really think the Democrats will end our wars and actively seek to protect our civil liberties? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> To Kyle: I don't think anyone has any illusions that a third party candidate would win the election, however, the point is to bring issues of substance and importance into the public consciousness and into the debates. Paleoconservative leaning Republicans reclaimed the state party leadership from Neoconservatives (e.g. John Hager) this past spring in part because Ron Paul's candidacy raised awareness. It's unreasonable to call for the complete dismantling of the Dems and GOP, but it's not at all unreasonable that we should expect them to obey the Constitution and the will of the people. They are elected to represent us after all.
Reply to this Top
I agree with your response to my comments, at least. I'm a huge proponent of term limits for all public officials for that very reason. . .
Reply to this Top