Becoming an elected official is not a part of most students' immediate plans, but one non-profit organization thinks it should be.
This year, the Committee of Seventy, a Philadelphia-based political watchdog group, is making an aggressive effort to get new candidates -- including students -- into Pennsylvania politics, holding information sessions and distributing manuals on how to run for office.
In an attempt to reach area students, committee held a session near Penn's campus on Wednesday and plans one on neighboring Drexel University's campus next Thursday.
"People think it's more senator or governor ... but there are over a thousand seats available," said Anne Mahlum, the committee's civic education director, referring to this year's primary elections, which will be held in May.
While students who haven't lived in Pennsylvania for more than four years can't become a state representative or senator, they are able to run for local party offices called ward committees.
Ward committee members' greatest responsibility is electing a ward leader who sits on the party's county committee and helping decide how local party funds are distributed and which candidates the party will endorse.
There are 6,724 Democratic and Republican ward committee seats in Philadelphia; however, many of these are vacant or held by appointees from other districts.
The Committee of Seventy hopes that getting more citizens to run for these positions will increase elected officials' awareness of their constituents.
"We're promoting engagement, promoting competition," Committee of Seventy Policy Director Chris Sheridan said. "It's good to make [candidates] campaign."
And some on campus share the committee's aim. Penn College Democrats President Nathan Hake said his group is making an effort to get students on the ballot for the committee of the 27th Ward, in which Penn is located.
"The more people [who] get active in politics, the less corruption" there will be, said the College sophomore, who was appointed to the 27th Ward Committee a year ago and will be running in the May election.
Three members of the Penn Democrats are currently on the committee for the 27th Ward.
In contrast, the Penn College Republicans don't have members on the Republican Ward Committee and aren't actively encouraging students to run for seats.
According to College Republicans Chairman Cory Bray, there is no need for students to join the ward committee because their ward leader is "doing a great job."
