College Republicans get involved

Ask Republican strategists for their pick of the most crucial battleground in this year's elections, and they might not give Bloomington ' a college town with a strong-voiced liberal sector ' as their first answer.\nDon't tell that to the College Republicans.\nAt a mass meeting Tuesday evening in the Whittenberger Auditorium, members of the College Republicans, as well as several local Republican candidates, emphasized the importance of Bloomington's, and especially IU's, votes at both the state and national levels.\n"This is a very exciting time for us," CR President Anne Scuffham, a junior, said. "As you can see, Republicans are winning from the top of our ticket down to the very bottom." \nBut the message throughout the evening was that polls are not a guarantee of success; students need to get out on Election Day and cast their real ballots.\nIf 500-1,000 IU students vote straight-ticket Republican Nov. 7, the margin may be enough to gain control of both Indiana legislatures and the gubernatorial mansion, said Chris Crabtree, deputy director of Republican congressman John Hostettler's campaign. That, agreed members of the College Republicans executive board, would send a message to Washington that the state of Indiana remains a Republican stronghold.\nThe two-hour meeting featured rousing cheers for smaller government, lower taxes and a restoration of integrity to the White House via Texas Gov. George W. Bush. About 60 students and local residents showed up, with an equal proportion of men and women. \nCollege Republican press secretary Marisa Etter, a sophomore, said she was satisfied with the turnout, especially considering it was held on a night when other campus organizations were having callout meetings.\nAsked what members of CR are doing to enlist more support for local campaigns, Etter said CR has been redesigning its Web site to inform students of volunteer opportunities.\n"You don't have to be a political science major to be involved with College Republicans," said Etter, who is a journalism major.\nAny time that anyone can volunteer, even as little as one hour per week, is greatly appreciated, she said.\nIn a discussion after the meeting, Scuffham echoed Etter's sentiment. \n"I think it's important to let (young people) see how being involved directly affects them," she said. \nScuffham said regardless of whether they realize it, college students deal with such issues as lowering property taxes and reforming education every day. One of the best ways, then, to address these concerns is to become more actively involved in politics ' by voting and/or by working on a campaign. \nScuffham added a personal note as to why she's so politically involved: "My grandmother always said, 'If you don't vote, you can't bitch," she said with a smile.\nAt 10 a.m. Saturday at the Bloomington Courthouse, CR will attend the debate between Congressman Hostettler and Democratic challenger Dr. Paul Perry. More information is available at www.indiana.edu/~iugop.