By Caleigh Bartash

With just under five weeks until Election Day, student activists from the University of Maryland’s political organizations are preparing for what some believe will be the most important election they ever vote in. 

Climate change, education, the economy and foreign work policy are just a few issues UMD students cite as most important to them before the election. Arianna Delgado, the UMD Republicans’ communications director, said she will be supporting President Donald Trump in 2020. 

“I definitely would say the economy is a big issue for me in the election. I’m definitely nervous if Biden were to win if he would shut down the economy once he takes office,” said Delgado, a senior government and politics major.

UMD’s site for campus groups, TerpLink, lists 33 organizations in the politics category from across the political spectrum, ranging from conservatives and libertarians to democratic socialists.

Many of the groups planned special events for the first presidential debate Tuesday night. While some organizations hosted debate watch parties and Zoom discussions, others took on more unconventional strategies. Garrett Hill, a junior computer science major and the outreach coordinator of UMD’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter, said his organization made debate bingo cards.

“It should be a fun way of, hopefully, getting a little more enjoyment out of a very not so fun thing to watch, where it’s sort of the battle between two of the potentially most powerful men in the world just bickering,” Hill said. 

Hill said he hopes Trump loses, but that he was still undecided on whether to vote third party or for former Vice President Joe Biden.

“These are our two options for who’s going to be in charge of our country, and it’s a little disheartening to think about,” Hill said. “But, you still need to know what they’re thinking of doing so you can figure out how to respond to it. So it’s more of an obligation than a recreational activity.”

Unlike some UMD students, Terps for Biden’s president and founder, Ryan Khaghani, was a Biden supporter from the beginning. 

“The reason I supported him from the start was because I knew he had what it takes to bring our country back. And what I mean by that is he has the ability to form relationships with people not only in his party but people outside his party,” said Khaghani, a sophomore government and politics major.

Khaghani said that Terps for Biden has been phone banking to swing states for Biden, as well as for state candidates, such as Sara Gideon in Maine.

“We’ve been hosting these phone banks in Pennsylvania, where we’re calling college students out there who haven’t registered to vote and who haven’t requested their absentee ballot yet,” Khaghani said. “What we’re doing is basically telling them how important this election is.”

Tony Proulx, the UMD chapter of Young Americans for Freedom’s president and founder, said he currently plans on voting for Trump because of his pre-COVID-19 economic policies and Middle East peace deal. Proulx said he did not think the 2020 election was much different from others, aside from COVID-19.

“You could say that it’s a cultural war election,” said Proulx, a junior secondary education and mathematics double major.  “But I don’t necessarily agree that it’s a much more different election than it is any other election.”

Conservative and liberal organizations alike have been encouraging students across the nation to take action with strategies like social media activism and virtual discussions. The UMD Republicans Twitter features voting registration links, while other groups have invited guest speakers.

Khaghani said that Terps for Biden has hosted panels on issues including climate change, immigration and foreign policy without trying to force opinions. 

“We think it’s really important to lay out the facts and let [young people] form their own opinions,” Khaghani said.

UMD Young Americans for Freedom partnered with the UMD Republicans to host a debate watch party. Although he supports Trump, Proulx thought Biden won the faceoff Tuesday night.

“Because he was badgering Joe Biden so much throughout the debate and pretty much interrupting every two seconds, it seemed like it just took away from the overall effect he has on the American people,” Proulx said.

None of the activists were overly confident in who they thought would win the election. 

“It’s fair game for each of them. I don’t think there’s a clear winner. I think it’s going to be similar to the last election with how close it was in the Electoral College,” Delgado said.

Despite their ideological differences, all of the students were hopeful for a peaceful election process, no matter the result. They all pledged to keep spreading their values after the ballots are counted. 

However, some students were less optimistic than others. Hill said a rise in hate crimes after the 2016 election is one reason he is concerned.

“I’m pretty worried about our future. I’m worried about how the losing side will take the results of the election, be that people who support Trump or people who support Biden,” Hill said. “I’m just hopeful that people don’t get hurt quickly.”

Featured photo: The Young Democratic Socialists of America created Bingo sheets to add fun to an acrimonious debate night.

Courtesy of Garrett Hill