“I’m John Kerry, and I approved this message.”

As soon as anyone in Iowa turns on a television set today, he or she is bombarded with commercials touting various Democratic presidential candidates, all of whom wish to challenge George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. While this attention has turned Iowa into a political battleground, it has also provided an opportunity for younger voters to make their voices heard through direct participation in the process.

Although candidates Wesley Clark and Joe Lieberman will skip Iowa, Carol Moseley Braun, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dick Gephardt, John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton canvass the state, telling potential voters why he or she is better than all the other candidates, but more importantly, why it is necessary to get a Democrat back into the White House.

Campuses provide a host of opportunities for students to become politically active, as do various organizations and groups.

“Students have an opportunity that others don’t,” said Jim Hutter, associate professor of political science. “They have the chance to be active on campus through student groups.”

Campus groups

There are many student organizations that proclaim themselves to be political in nature.

All Democratic presidential candidates but Lieberman and Sharpton have student organizations supporting them on campus.

Joel Taylor, junior in political science and president of Cyclones for Dean, said members of his group do a variety of things, including participation in local parades and planning events with the Des Moines office.

Students who wish to be involved with a minimal time commitment can simply sign up to be on an e-mail list to receive Dean updates, Taylor said.

Cassi Johnson, graduate student in agricultural sociology and member of ISU Students for Kucinich, agreed with Taylor regarding time commitments.

“You can go across the county and state promoting [Kucinich], or you can simply receive e-mails to stay informed,” Johnson said.

Johnson said her group’s main goal is to inform people about the caucus. The group also sponsors debates and holds meetings every other week.

Karla Hardy, junior in sociology and former president of Students for Kerry, said students have a voice that can be powerful if put to use.

“We have an untapped strength,” Hardy said, pointing to the decline in student involvement in politics. She said this strength could be used to create change in the United States.

But there are other opportunities for students wanting to become become politically active and who do not want to get involved with a specific presidential candidate. All four organizations on campus associated with political parties — Iowa State Libertarians, ISU Campus Greens, ISU College Republicans, and ISU Democrats — are actively seeking new members.

Josh Reicks, senior in political science and president of ISU College Republicans, said his organization’s main purpose is to promote Republican values.

“We try to be a voice for the right-wing student body on campus,” he said.

Hannah Schoenthal-Muse, senior in liberal studies and president of ISU Democrats, said her group’s main goal is to get students involved in the caucuses.

The group hopes to have all of the presidential candidates on campus to interact with the students, she said. “There will be some awesome opportunities for students to feel the candidates out and see what they’re about,” Schoenthal-Muse said.

David Faden, senior in computer science and president of the Iowa State Libertarians, said his group is currently trying to petition the state legislature to put a Libertarian candidate on the ballot for next year’s election.

ISU Campus Greens serve a similar role by setting up multiple lecture series and organizing rallies and educational events.

Katie Drake, senior in journalism and mass communication and president of Catt Associates, said her group focuses on women in leadership and politics.

Peggy Talbert Baum, program assistant for the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women in Politics, said the group’s mission is to involve more women in the political process.

“Catt Associates aims to develop a cohesive group that will help raise civic awareness and encourage women’s leadership,” she said.

Presidential campaigns

With the caucuses only four months away, one of the easiest ways a student can become politically active is to volunteer on a campaign. Most Democratic presidential candidates have either already or plan to establish campaign offices in Iowa.

Dean recently kicked off “Generation Dean,” demonstrating the importance of college-age people in the upcoming election.

“It’s a drive to get young people involved in politics,” said Sarah Leonard, Iowa communications director for the Dean campaign.

Dean Corps can also get students involved. Dean Corps is an organization that allows supporters of the former Vermont governor to become politically active by getting involved in community projects, Leonard said.

Knowing what’s going on politically and what a candidate stands for is the first step to becoming politically active, Leonard said.

John Friedrich, the Iowa state director for the Kucinich campaign, said students will play a large role in their campaign.

“We’ll have a lot of student volunteers canvassing the area,” he said.

He said the bulk of student responsibilities include phone banking, filing and going door-to-door to inform people about the issues.

With the lesser-known candidates, it is possible for students to play an even larger role, going beyond the typical phone calls and door-to-door knocking. Pat Botterman, campaign manager for the Moseley Braun campaign, said his campaign depends on college students, mostly for research.

“Although 18 to 25 year olds’ [political] participation level needs to increase, those students that connect with the campaign often prove to be the most valuable assets,” he said.