With the general election right around the corner, senior political science and philosophy major Jay Klein has a busy semester ahead.
Klein is continuing in his position as the field director for the reelection campaign of state Representative Jay Reedy (R – District 74) after a successful primary in August.
“He won the primary this summer by 80%, so we’re really excited about that and hoping for a similar result in the fall,” Klein said.
Although Klein is a Colorado native, he connected with the Reedy campaign during his time as an intern this spring at the Tennessee General Assembly and hit the ground running with the campaign. Through these experiences, Klein said he’s seen how important state and local government can be.
“I recognize that state politics are maybe not as exciting or scandalous as national, but they are incredibly impactful in our day-to-day lives,” Klein noted. “Really, our state and local government shape the very way that we interact with each other and the world we live in.”
While Klein’s political involvement is not the standard for college students, Dr. Marc Schwerdt helps provide ways students can get involved in other ways without leaving the campus. As a political science professor and Lipscomb alum, Schwerdt sponsors several politically active clubs on campus such as College Republicans, College Democrats, Pi Sigma Alpha and Young Americans for Freedom.
One of those organizations Schwerdt sponsors is Lipscomb Democrats — founded by sophomores Alyssa Ollis and Mason Borneman. The group began last fall, and Ollis said she is excited to have more events this election season as more students get involved.
“Last year as we were getting started, we mostly held discussions and watched debates, but now that we are more in the grove of things, we are thinking about doing some activities such as raising awareness of issues or campaigning for local candidates,” Ollis said.
Along with providing opportunities for students like Ollis and Borneman, Schwerdt provides advice on the issues to students preparing to cast their ballots this fall.
“I believe that foreign policy is a big issue right now as we are reevaluating our relationships with other countries and trying to deal with very sticky issues like the Islamic State and Russia,” Schwerdt said. “Also, our economy is so dependent on foreign trade that the terms of our trade relationships with other countries is a focal point for the coming years.”
If students are looking for advice during this election season, Lipscomb’s political science department has another asset. With a doctorate from George Mason University, Dr. Susan Haynes is an expert on foreign policy, specifically Chinese-American relations and nuclear proliferation.
“Educate yourself on your choices,” Haynes said. “Inform yourself on the policy platforms of those who are available to you. I’m well aware that sometimes when people inform and educate themselves on the platform, they’re still dissatisfied with their choices. If that is the case, I would say not to turn to apathy or isolation when you don’t like your choices but to become a choice yourself.”
Regardless of party affiliation or level of government, Lipscomb students have many opportunities to get involved this fall on and off campus.
Upcoming events in the political science department will be emailed to students throughout the semester.