Student political groups poised for election battle

With election day just seven weeks away, the campus political machine is revving up its engine and preparing to charge into battle. Penn students working on behalf of both George W. Bush and Al Gore have made activism their top priority for the fall. For now, College senior Michael Bassik, best known on campus as the chairman of the Undergraduate Assembly, isn't just thinking about the latest UA dining survey or student-administrator task force. As statewide coordinator of Students for Gore and head of Penn for Gore, Bassik has immersed himself in the workings of a presidential campaign that is focused heavily on winning the battleground state of Pennsylvania. "The main challenge we face is getting all these students who support Al Gore... to actually register to vote and exercise their civic duty this November," Bassik said. And while Gore may have Bassik on his side, Bush has his fair share of Penn support. "This is one of the closest presidential elections we've seen in some time and we really have to fight for this," College senior and Penn College Republicans President Philip Bartlett said. Already, the Penn College Democrats and College Republicans have held introductory meetings, and the first sessions of Penn for Bush and Penn for Gore are slated to assemble in the next week. "The early reaction has been great," said College junior and College Democrats Chairwoman Christy Gressman. "We basically just put up some posters and ended up getting a huge response." Although each of the campaign-oriented groups operates independently of their party and has separate leadership, the ties between the respective Democratic and Republican-oriented clubs is undeniable. Both the Penn for Gore and Penn for Bush groups materialized last spring, as their respective candidates battled for their party nominations. The groups representing primary challengers Bill Bradley and John McCain never officially merged with the groups representing their respective party's nominee, though some individual members have crossed over to support the eventual candidates. Those leading the election efforts say their toughest battles are still ahead of them. "Things are still in the works," said College sophomore and Penn for Bush Chairwoman Meredith Voliva. "Right now we're doing a lot of things centered around voter registration." Voliva added that members will be organizing awareness campaigns and attending campaign rallies in support of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush. On the Democratic side, students are likewise concentrating on registration campaigns while spreading the word about Gore. "We want an open dialogue between the [Democratic and Republican] groups," Bassik said. "Our main focus is educating the student body so our campus can truly become an informed electorate."