With the 1996 presidential primaries just around the corner, students are gearing up to support their chosen political party or candidates.
But some students, like Porter Montgomery '96, are going one step further. When Montgomery decided he wanted to help Republican Senator Bob Dole's campaign, he formed his own statewide student organization, New Hampshire Students for Dole.
"The organization's goal is to unify students across the state for Dole," Montgomery, also the president of the group, said.
Montgomery said New Hampshire Students for Dole includes representatives from the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State, Keene State, New England College, Colby-Sawyer College and a couple of other schools.
The group will help work on advance teams for the New Hampshire primary and with voter registration and fund-raising drives, he said.
Montgomery said he started the organization because he has an extensive background and interest in conservative politics.
"I've been working more or less every summer on Capitol Hill since my tenth grade in high school," he said.
Montgomery said he first came up with the idea of forming his own organization after he met with advance teams from the New Hampshire for Dole campaign.
He said he then discussed the idea with Brian McCabe, the executive director of the New Hampshire Dole for President effort, and McCabe liked the proposal.
"I eventually went to Concord and met with [McCabe] and presented a statement of purpose," Montgomery said, "and he told me to get it going."
McCabe said New Hampshire Students for Dole is still in its developmental stages and is not yet an official function of the Dole campaign.
According to McCabe, Montgomery is working completely on a voluntary basis, and his efforts have been very helpful to the New Hampshire campaign.
"He came to us willing to organize students for Dole ... and his efforts have been a great help for us," McCabe said.
Montgomery said he was excited to support a candidate who would "bring dignity" back to the office of the president.
Montgomery said he believes Dole is the right man for the job of president.
"For what Bill Clinton has done to the office," he said. "I think it needs some rebuilding. I think he's the man to do it."
