Progressive Nation

Issue date: 11/3/08 Section: Opinion

With Election Day only 21 days away, the presidential campaign saga has reached its final stretch.

It seems to be the only thing people can talk about. The level of involvement by Obama supporters at Princeton has been very encouraging and represents a commitment of college students everywhere to contribute their time, talent, and money to the most important election of their lives so far. Weekly College Democrats trips to canvass in Pennsylvania and countless opportunities to phone bank at the Obama office on Nassau Street have provided ample occasions for Princeton students to become civically engaged.

However, some of the most important volunteer opportunities are still ahead. Princeton University established a weeklong fall break (a tradition shared by very few schools) in order to give students the chance to campaign for their preferred candidates soon before Election Day. While this purpose has largely been forgotten and put aside, there could be no better time to revive it than Fall Break 2008.

Volunteering during Fall Break is an opportunity not to be missed, regardless of whether you choose to participate in the College Democrats trips to Virginia, Pennsylvania, or the Pennsylvania/Ohio border, the possible Students for Barack Obama trip to Florida, or the volunteer opportunities here in Princeton or at your local campaign office. Whether you phone bank for one hour or canvass each day for several hours, the satisfaction of knowing that you were a part of this pivotal election will make the experience worth it. If you convince an undecided voter to vote for Barack Obama or simply inform locals about how to make sure their vote is counted, face-to-face conversations all over the country may determine the outcome of the presidential election.

With the Democrats expected to gain enough seats in the Senate to be tantalizingly close to the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority, this election will determine whether a new progressive movement with a national mandate for change will sweep through Washington. There could be no better time to get involved with politics for the first time or continue a long-held commitment to political volunteerism and civic engagement. Having a competent administration is essential to immediately navigate the country through this difficult economic period, but the effects of the next administration will also be felt for many years to come. A few hours over Fall Break are a reasonable price to pay for the ability to affect the outcome on November 4th and the future of the United States.

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