[This election campaign has taken up years, nay centuries, but it is finally coming to a close - Spectator is in Chicago this weekend to see if a Columbia alumnus will become President, and the College Dems have kindly brought us along as they campaign over the weekend. Below, news editors Melissa and Jake explain the logic behind the trips and why we created this election blog. Happy fall break!]
Dear readers,
As a historic election approaches, Spectator along with the rest of the nation is turning its eyes to the ballot boxes. In the days ahead, there will be the last pushes of campaigning, complete with plentiful McCain and Obama buttons and a flurry of voters headed to the polls. On Columbia’s campus, this occasion is momentous not only for the legacy of political activism among students but also because, for the first time, an alumnus of Columbia College may be elected president.
Neither Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) nor Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) is a stranger to Columbia. Obama, CC ‘83, and McCain, father of Columbia College alumna Meghan McCain, CC ‘07, are both known to Alma Mater beyond even their respective personal connections. Their visit to Morningside Heights for the ServiceNation Presidential Candidate’s Forum in September created a flurry of excitement around campus and kicked off election fever in earnest. Numerous students spent their summers and a good portion of their semesters volunteering for campaigns - others have spent the first half of this semester at campus events about the candidates and their stances on issues as disparate as economic policy and LGBT rights.
Now, the end of the road has arrived and students have scattered from campus, both to vote and to campaign for their candidates and issues. We have created this blog to follow the feverish final push towards the election with a special focus on Columbia people. Spectator reporter Betsy Morais and photographer Angela Radulescu will be in Chicago as Obama and McCain race toward the finish line. They will attend and live blog Obama’s election night speech. Kim Kirschenbaum is on the campaign trail with the Columbia Dems as they knock on doors and make cold calls in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. And here in New York City, reporters will post about on-campus happenings.
We hope you follow our coverage as we track this momentous occasion in American and Columbian history. And of course, don’t forget to vote.
Let the countdown begin!
Melissa Repko and Jacob Schneider
Spectator News Editors