The room is full of excitement. Balloons float through the air, a sign that reads “Happy Retirement!” droops from the ceiling and pictures of Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan hang on the walls. However, the guest of honor is not Ryan, but the Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Michael Blake. This party is hosted by the College Democrats of New York (CDNY) as part of their annual conference.
Each year, members of CDNY gather from colleges across the state to participate in workshops and networking. This year’s conference at New York University taught students about topics such as voter suppression laws and political organizing, while providing the chance for Democrats to meet like-minded individuals from other colleges.
“I think the most valuable thing was seeing the successes of the other college Democrat organizations throughout the state and seeing what we could adopt and model after them and the challenges they faced comparative to ours,” said SLU Democrats member Niamh Creedon-Carey ‘21. The conference allows for the student Democrats to trade tips on how to better their schools’ organizations.
One common theme throughout the conference was the need for college students to become politically active. Blake believes that students can have a major impact on the political scene. “In this environment, especially, whether it be student loans, whether it be healthcare, whether it be decriminalization of marijuana, college students are going to be the drivers of change,” said Blake.
Grace Vensel ’21, a member of SLU Democrats, feels that the event helped her gain a better understanding of the Democratic party, while also allowing her to network with students from other schools. “It was really cool to see how young people can get involved in politics at such a young age and that you don’t have to be an old, white man,” said Vensel.
For students who want to get politically active, Blake says the first step is to find an internship or become involved with a campaign. “I think the main thing is just saying nothing is too small for my first step, as long as I’m taking that first step,” said Blake. Blake’s own first steps were to join his college’s student government and to work internships.