Listen Here
By: Cory W. Berlekamp
Almost a year after the federal election, political clubs on the University of Findlay’s campus are losing members.
With the start of a new school year, students are deciding which activities and clubs to join. With so many different clubs on campus, picking one can be a hard task. Many students are choosing the extracurricular activities that match their majors because it will help them in the future. Those activities and clubs, however, are not the political ones.
During the 2017 fall semester, only one political club remains active on campus. This club is the University of Findlay College of Republicans. However, even they are decreasing in size from the previous semesters.
President of the Republican club, Erin Shonk, openly speaks about students committing to a new club.
“I think the [problem] with it is getting involved,” said Shonk. “I think people are just so busy right now with school, it’s hard for them to be a full member.”
Both the Republican and Democratic Clubs were active during the primary elections and the main election last fall semester. The two held forums to discuss the election last November along with hosting a bonfire for members.
However, according to Dr. Robert Postic, associate professor of political science,
students are finding these clubs to be less of a priority in the post-election years.
“Clubs are student driven,” said Postic. “They need to be interested in the subject and what the club does.”
Postic previously advised the Political Science Club.
“It was largely driven by political science majors, but when those students graduated, the Political Science Club had a lull and we haven’t been a club in a couple of years,” explains Postic.
Shonks, a junior at the University, states that being a club president was good for her resume. With her political views leaning to the right, she was happy to be the president of her club. Her counterpart, and President of the Democratic Club, Jacob Sarver, has let his club go to “sleep” this semester.
Sarver, a junior and political science and communications major, wants to do more with the Democratic Club, but while working with the Findlay Media Network and WLFC, he is not able to keep it going.
“People seem more supportive now that it is not a club,” Sarver said. “I am planning to start it back up next semester, I just can’t do it with all that I have going on.”
Both club presidents are supportive of each other, and what the other clubs are doing. Shonks even states that people with any political affiliation can join the Republican Club saying, “that would definitely spice things up in the conversations.”
Any student looking to join the University of Findlay College of Republicans can go to the Student Organization Fair on Sept. 19 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. held at the AMU. Students who are looking to start their own club can get all that information at the office of Student Activities right next to the Cave in the AMU.
