Students get educated working on campaigns

By Melody Wang
Daily Bruin Reporter

If grades are a little bit lower on this quarter’s
midterms, professors may have politics to blame.

This year, election season coincides with midterm season, and
some students are spending less time stressing over classes and
more time working long hours on campaigns ““ making phone
calls to voters and planning various political events.

“Politics has opened so many opportunities for me,”
said Bruin Republican Chair Vartan Djihanian, who is currently a
paid staff member campaigning for James Rogan, a Republican who is
now up for re-election as a Congressman in California’s 27th
Congressional District, which includes Pasadena, La Cañada and
Burbank.

Djihanian said because of the upcoming elections, he is working
an average of eight hours a day, five days a week, and dedicates
two days to his classes. But he said he feels it’s worth it
because he believes in the causes of the candidates.

“I like Rogan so much I’m willing to make the
sacrifice,” Djihanian said. “I wouldn’t do it for
anyone else.”Â 

Djihanian entered the political world as a volunteer at the age
of 13 after he met Rogan.

“I was totally blown away by him at the time,”
Djihanian said. “Rogan was such an inspiring
individual.”

Rogan and his opponent, Democrat Adam Schiff, are currently
running the most expensive congressional campaign in the nation,
with donations for both candidates totaling more than $9.5 million
according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington
D.C.-based campaign spending watchdog organization.

Djihanian said in addition to working for Rogan, he also helps
George W. Bush’s campaign with various events whenever the
governor is in Southern California.

One UCLA faculty member is actually requiring her students to
get out of the classroom and experience politics firsthand.

Jorja Prover, a lecturer in the School of Public Policy and
Social Research, said that since most students really enjoy helping
out with campaigns and learn a lot from doing so, she has asked her
Social Welfare 100A students to work a minimum of eight hours for
any presidential candidate as part of their midterm assignment.

“I feel it is so important that students go out in to the
world and get involved with presidential campaigns rather than
watching about it on the media,” Prover said.
“It’s been wonderful. They love it.”

Bruin Democrats Internal Vice President Kristina Meshelski, who
has been involved with a number of Democratic campaigns, agreed,
and said the campaigning keeps her busy but it is completely worth
her time.

Meshelski said this year’s election is important to her
because the Democrats have a chance of taking control of Congress,
where the Republican party currently has a majority.

“I like doing something that matters,” she said.
“I almost feel guilty if I don’t do it.”

Some students even take time off from school to dedicate their
energy toward a cause.

Patricia Espinoza, who is transferring to UCLA as a community
studies student in the spring, is devoting all her time this fall
to convince Californians to vote no on Proposition 38.

The proposition will make vouchers available for public school
students whose parents want to send them to an eligible private
school, but Espinoza said the proposition would take too much money
away from California’s public school system.

“It’s really going to hurt public education and
I’m a product of public education,” Espinoza said.
“That’s why I’m taking time off to do
this.”

Other students, though, took the opportunity to volunteer for
political campaigns over the summer rather than the school
year.

Emily Chen, a fourth-year political science student, volunteered
at Al Gore’s fund-raising office during the summer and said
she learned a lot about the people involved with politics.

“I was just amazed to see how dedicated some of these
people were and how they did so much and didn’t get paid very
much for it,” she said. “Sometimes the work isn’t
as fun and can be really monotonous, but the people make it
fun.”

Others agreed and said after working on campaigns, they realized
some of their conceptions of politicians were false.

“I found that there really are people out there who are
representing us and can be trusted,” said Todd Bradley,
second-year political science student, who has volunteered for
several congressional candidates. “I learned idealism
doesn’t have to end once you’re elected.”

Many students gain a lot from their experiences and hope to
pursue politics as a career. Chen said she enjoys volunteering
because she ultimately wants to become a political consultant.

Like Chen, Daniel Urman, a fifth-year political science and
history student who volunteers at the California Coordinated
Campaign, said one of his career goals is to take public
office.

“I hope to teach and inspire others, and public service is
an excellent way to do so,” Urman said.

Paul Backstrom, a fifth-year psychology student who is
campaigning for Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader,
said he learned about certain aspects of public policy that he
would not have learned in his classes.

“It keeps me busy,” said Backstrom, who spends 20 to
30 hours a week on the campaign. “But I think it’s
provided me with a greater perspective than some of my
classes.”

Backstrom said he chose to work for Nader because he supports
the third-party candidate’s views.

“Nader’s campaign is something fresh and new,”
Backstrom said. “He’s not afraid to take up the issues
that might not do well.”

Djihanian said volunteering is the best way to start a political
career or just learn more about this election’s major
issues.

“I encourage everyone to get involved with politics no
matter what major they are.”