By Annemarie Melbye

With six weeks until a competitive midterm election, student-led political clubs like the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), the UMD College Democrats and the UMD College Republicans are finding ways to engage in politics on and off campus. 

These ways vary, but include going door to door, running campaigns, and holding debates.

“It feels very exciting, especially during an election season, [that] we’re able to really engage with the voters and students at the university,” said senior government and politics major Alexander Randle-Johnson, the Political Action Director of the College Democrats. 

Randle-Johnson said that members of the College Democrats engage with the local community off-campus and advocate for their beliefs and policies. The club knocks on doors and canvass both in Pennsylvania and Maryland. They also phone bank on campus. 

Other clubs use different methods. Lena Biran, a sophomore landscape architecture major and YDSA member, described how her club runs campaigns, including the current sanctuary campus campaign.

“We’re pretty active, and we make ourselves known,” Biran said.  

These two groups  take a campaigning approach. But sophomore finance major Blake Ruszala, vice president of the College Republicans, said their club focuses on putting ideas out on the table. 

“We get to go out and talk to other students and have debates and discussions with them,” Ruszala said. “At our meetings, if we don’t have an actual event, we usually just have a discussion about what’s in the news … we share the facts, so that way people have an idea, and then we share opinions.” 

Although the clubs vary in the way they spread their opinions on campus, they are all keeping an eye on the midterms. Randle-Johnson is following the Alaska senate race, along with the North Carolina and Georgia races with hopes that the Democrats can flip or maintain the seats. 

The YDSA typically follows campaigns similar to the College Democrats. 

“I’m gonna go out and support my Dems because it’s the closest to what I do … and Maryland Democrats tend to do a little bit better usually because they’re such a strong caucus,”  Biran said.

College Republicans members, like Ruszala, are following different races. He said that he will focus on the Florida governor’s race, the Texas Congressional race and the Michigan Senate race.

Despite their beliefs spanning the political spectrum, the members of all clubs share a passion for civic engagement.

“It’s a fun opportunity … we get a wide range of people participating in politics and participating in the club,” Randle-Johnson said. 

Even within a political club, students said that some members share different viewpoints. Yet, for the most part, they say it is a place to connect to other students with similar values. 

“It’s just a place to find community with like-minded people. It helps me feel not so crazy about the world that we live in,” said Biran. “And it also gives me a place where I feel like I can make change and connect to my community. So, it’s kind of therapeutic in a way.”

Ruszala explained how through the College Republicans, students made lifelong friendships.

“We have one big friend group, or family,” Ruszala said.

Featured Image: A University of Maryland entrance sign. Photo by Audrey Bengtson.