Spring Break
University hosts College Democratic Convention
by Hannah Kirsch and Irina Finkel
News | 4/7/09
Posted online at 7:35 AM EST on 4/7/09
The College Democratic Convention, a three-day conference for College Democrats of Massachussetts, was hosted at Brandeis this past weekend after the University was selected in an application process, according to Brandeis Democrats President Jason Paul '09.
According to Paul, "The reason [the convention] has to happen is so officers can be elected" to the College Democrats of Massachusetts board.
"The only way to do a fair election is to bring people together," he said.
The main speaker of the event, which drew students from 12 area colleges, was Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth Timothy P. Murray.
Brandeis Democrats Vice President Amber Kornreich '12 was elected to the position of communications director at the conference. Paul expressed excitement at Kornreich's election and explained that Brandeis hadn't had a student elected to the board in many years.
Paul also said, "The second purpose [of the convention] is that at individual schools, it would be very difficult to sort of get statewide elected officials and members of Congress … interested in coming to speak to just Brandeis or just [College of the] Holy Cross or just Suffolk [University] or just [Boston University], … but if we can guarantee a critical mass of … students, then it becomes much more in the interest of these people that gives them an opportunity. It's also good socially, good networking."
In an e-mail to the Justice prior to the event, Paul explained that the 2009 convention would also include breakout sessions tackling "practical political issues such as how to find jobs in politics as well [as] parts of the craft such as field organizing, youth organizing and how to work within the Obama campaign's continuing framework."
Paul offered the Jewish political perspective to a group of mostly Catholic peers in one of the sessions called "Faith and the Democratic Party." "Catholics are obviously a really big swing voting bloc, and so I had to explain how Jews are not a big swing bloc and how that came to be and sort of what the differences are," said Paul.
According to Paul, "The reason [the convention] has to happen is so officers can be elected" to the College Democrats of Massachusetts board.
"The only way to do a fair election is to bring people together," he said.
The main speaker of the event, which drew students from 12 area colleges, was Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth Timothy P. Murray.
Brandeis Democrats Vice President Amber Kornreich '12 was elected to the position of communications director at the conference. Paul expressed excitement at Kornreich's election and explained that Brandeis hadn't had a student elected to the board in many years.
Paul also said, "The second purpose [of the convention] is that at individual schools, it would be very difficult to sort of get statewide elected officials and members of Congress … interested in coming to speak to just Brandeis or just [College of the] Holy Cross or just Suffolk [University] or just [Boston University], … but if we can guarantee a critical mass of … students, then it becomes much more in the interest of these people that gives them an opportunity. It's also good socially, good networking."
In an e-mail to the Justice prior to the event, Paul explained that the 2009 convention would also include breakout sessions tackling "practical political issues such as how to find jobs in politics as well [as] parts of the craft such as field organizing, youth organizing and how to work within the Obama campaign's continuing framework."
Paul offered the Jewish political perspective to a group of mostly Catholic peers in one of the sessions called "Faith and the Democratic Party." "Catholics are obviously a really big swing voting bloc, and so I had to explain how Jews are not a big swing bloc and how that came to be and sort of what the differences are," said Paul.
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