U.S. President Barack Obama's reelection campaign will host a student summit at Dartmouth on Feb. 28 to encourage youth political participation as part of its Greater Together campaign. Representatives from six New Hampshire colleges and various high schools across the state will come together in an effort to engage in "grassroots training" and obtain the necessary tools to organize on their individual campuses, according to Holly Shulman, communications director for Obama for America New Hampshire.
Campaign staff will lead the organizing summit and engage students in a discussion about what steps they can take to help Obama's reelection efforts, according to Shulman. The Greater Together campaign is part of the campaign's Operation Vote, which aims to expand voter turnout, according to an Obama for America New Hampshire press release. The summit will feature a performance from the Dartmouth Aires and the Rockapellas, according to Shulman.
Dartmouth is one of many host sites for Greater Together summits. Other participants will include Miami Dade College, the University of Iowa and North Carolina Central University.
President Obama launched his summit series with a video asking young people to become more politically involved and help him "finish what they all started together in the 2008 campaign," according to the press release.
"Young people turned out in record numbers in 2008, and we are hoping to build on that effort," Shulman said. "They play an important role in shaping future generations."
Greater Together focuses on digital outreach and grassroots organizing across campaign departments, reaching out to college students, high school students and young professionals.
"I think the idea of the summit is to help us connect, network and strategize about how to get Obama reelected," Theo Groh, vice president of Young Democrats of America, said. "One of the biggest issues is education, as many students are dealing with student loans and unemployment."
The Dartmouth College Democrats have also begun building up their campaign infrastructure, according to College Democrats member Logan Brog '15.
"This year, Dartmouth students have set up an incredibly strong campus infrastructure for the Obama campaign in a way that no other campus campaign has done," Brog said. "Volunteering students are organized into three groups action, in charge of orchestrating events; people, recruiting volunteers; and messaging; communicating with the Dartmouth community."
The campus group knocked on over 1,000 doors, made hundreds of phone calls, set up information tables and held more than 10 events prior to the January primary, according to Brog.
The goal of the summit is to reenergize people and get them excited about the election, according to Lewis.
"We are involved both locally and with the federal campaign, and part of our job is getting people educated about what's going on," Lewis said. "There is a campaign liaison who helps us organize."
Representatives from various political groups on campus said they agreed that Dartmouth is conveniently located to play a role in the fall election.
"New Hampshire is an important state every time an election comes around," Schulman said. "Dartmouth, like all campuses across the state of New Hampshire, is a very active campus."
The College provides a good opportunity for people to come together and build on the enthusiasm that each school has to offer, according to Schulman.
"A big part about attending Dartmouth is being in such a unique position for political involvement," Lewis said. "It is not just about the education, but other parts of maturing as young members of society that's what sets Dartmouth apart from other schools."
Brog said he was confident that the College Democrats and other political groups would be successful in re-electing Obama this fall.
"We are confident that President Obama's record on issues students care about, our campaign infrastructure and our energy will propel us to victory in November," Brog said. "Additionally, students wanted to end the war in Iraq, bid farewell to Don't Ask Don't Tell,' and ensure that all Americans have high-quality, affordable health care all promises that the president has delivered on."
Robert Smith '14, vice president of the College Republicans, said the College Republicans are hoping to use the summit to open up debate and establish dialogue with different groups.
"It was really encouraging to see students get excited about the [Republican] debate in the fall, but it often seems like too many people are preoccupied with schoolwork and see politics as something off in the distance," Smith said. "When the actual election comes around though, this place is going to be crazy."
This election focuses primarily on the economy, according to Smith.
"All young voters, regardless of whether they are in the workforce or not, recognize that we will need to enter it at some point and become concerned when they see a rise in entitlement programs and deficits," he said.
