Students gather for post-election discussion

Walter Padilla News Editor

Shortly after the media announced the predicted re-election of George W. Bush to the presidency, a group of students from various on-campus political organizations, including members of the Students Activist Union and the Forum for Political Philosophy, got together and planned the next immediate phase of student political activism at Vassar.

On Thursday, Nov. 4, the first post-election general student body meeting took place at 8 p.m. in the Villard Room. With about 260 Vassar community members in attendance, the meeting lasted one hour, during which several students and faculty members voiced their concerns toward electoral procedures, frustrations at the results and ideas to improve the left.

“We need to come together as a community and find new ways to channel our frustration, fear and anger at the election of [George W. Bush] and our government’s policies into creative, effective responses to the attacks we know are coming in the next four years and beyond,” stated the invitational e-mail sent to students by the Forum for Political Philosophy on Wednesday evening.

The moderators during the meeting were Emily Goldstein ’05 and Max Shmookler ’06.

“People are coming from all different angles, and we want to try to make everyone feel comfortable and they have a place to express their feelings and their ideas,” said Shmookler during the introduction.

Throughout the meeting, most students expressed liberal, Democrat, and reactive thoughts toward the election. “People say youth votes didn’t show up, but I don’t think that’s true. If the election could’ve been decided only by youths, then Kerry would’ve won by a landslide,” expressed a student. “It is easy to be active here at Vassar; but then this is only four years. When you leave here, remember what you feel right now and take it with you outside the Vassar bubble,” said another student.

“The thing is that you as college students, with the time and access to resources that you have here, and all the circles you have with friends and family...you need to think about mobilizing those resources aside from marching on-campus, telling each other what you think. You need to take that energy outside,” said Adjunct Instructor in Religion Elliot Ratzman. “Get together with others and make sure you all now how affected you all are and think how seriously that could happen.”

Lists of ‘what went wrong?’ and ‘brainstorming’ ideas were recorded during the meeting by Nicole Nemergut ’06. A muted left, the Democratic party’s decline through the years, lack of communication between Democrats and activists, and Democrat views seen as “too liberal,” were among the problems listed.

Students proposed further lobbying, a trip to the inauguration, more legislation on electronic voting, more local community organizations and candidates of color, more access to information and a redefinition of morality in the Democratic party. The importance of think-tanking and the dangers of the population voting solely on moral issues were also stressed.

Flyers, written by Adam Beitman ’06, were distributed at the meeting that discussed the Two Party System, the Corporate Media and Corporate Campaign Contributions as important national issues that serve as obstacles for further initiatives such as environmental, anti-globalization, education and human rights causes. Beitman invited the Vassar community to find out more about possible solutions to these three “filter” issues of American democracy.

Student discussions and demonstrations will continue throughout the coming weeks. A second general student body meeting took place this last Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. in the Villard Room.

A public anti-Bush and anti-war demonstration will take place on Friday, Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. in front of the Poughkeepsie City Hall as a follow-up to last Sunday’s funeral procession at Malcolm X park (see article on page 3).

The Forum for Political Philosophy will host a meeting with Dutchess County Legislator and WVKR talk-show host Joel Tyner, who is looking for students interested in becoming involved in a new independent newsletter for Dutchess County. The meeting will take place Sunday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Noyes Lounge.

On Monday, Nov. 15, from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Student’s Building, the United Students Reformation Party and the Forum for Political Philosophy will be conducting a panel of discussion entitled “Religion and the Left.” Panelists will discuss current political issues such as voting based on morals, gay marriage and the relationships between the Church and the State.