The 2018 midterm elections have been a talking point from all ends this past month, from campaign ads to social media encouragements to get out and vote, to the traditional news cycle. This political fervor has likewise held a specific place on campus, particularly among the student political organizations.

Leading up to the midterms, the College Democrats and College Republicans sponsored an event entitled “March to the Polls.”

According to the College Democrats’ president, junior Kory Trout, the event was intended to “help students get comfortable to go and vote” by “giv[ing] people a sense of community and a way to engage with politics.”

The basic premise of the event was for students registered to vote in Elizabethtown College’s electoral district to gather together by the Baugher Student Center and then walk together to the polling station, located at the Borough Building.

The turnout for the event was low, in great part due to the rainy weather that day, but those who participated had nothing but enthusiasm for the event. Trout and two sophomores, College Democrats secretary Emma Pile and Sophia Unger, all went to vote.

“Coming together with people who were just as passionate and held that same feeling made me excited to just cast a simple ballot,” Pile said.

As a member of the College Democrats, she also had some insight into the planning of the event, which she thought from the beginning was “a great idea.”

Pile and Trout shared similar sentiments that they believed there should have been more advertising for the event, and they hope that being aware of this will make the turnout for the 2020 “March to the Polls” even better.

Trout, in thinking about voting in general, also had some insight about students unsure whether they should register to vote on campus.

To Trout, there is an immense value for college students to be registered in the college’s district because “the people elected here actually impact what happens when you are here…They could affect things you might not even consider.”

Pile agreed there are a lot of ways to stay politically engaged on campus. Pile and the College Democrats volunteered with candidate for the House of Representatives 98th district seat Mary Auker-Endres.

Pile, in reflecting on her experience with the “March to the Polls,” concluded that it was “empowering, just to know that one small vote can make a huge difference.”

With the midterm results now all but finalized, the political clubs on campus have no shortage of opinions on how the elections went down.

“Democrats this year thought there would be a blue wave, and in a lot of ways there really was—especially if you look at the House,” Trout said of the elections.

He also expressed that, with an increase of minority and women representatives, he was “happy to see our electorate is more representative of who we are as a nation.”

Despite harboring a generally positive attitude towards the election results, Trout also expressed that he was “disappointed to see that Democrats didn’t show up to the polls as much as [he] thought they would, or hoped they would.”

Overall, however, Trout encourages other Democrats on campus to “not let the results of the midterms impact 2020.

Democrats have a lot to learn for 2020 so as to build a strong movement.”

Trout also wants students, especially first-years, to be aware of the College Democrats’ presence.

“One of my goals is to remind students that there are Democrats on campus. There are people who think like them on campus,” Trout said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the College Republicans also have thoughts regarding the midterm results.

“The midterms went as expected,” senior College Republicans President Kyle Schaeffer said.

Schaeffer was not anticipating a so-called “Blue Wave” and does not feel we secured one, and likewise feels that the results “show that Conservative states… still support Trump’s economic policies.”

Schaeffer, like Trout, was enthusiastic about the increase of youth turn out.

“I think we are seeing an increase in youth voting, not only for Democrats, but an increase in younger generations voting for Republican politicians. That is huge!” he said.

One main contrast in the perspective of Schaeffer compared to Trout is that Schaeffer was not positively or negatively surprised by the results.

Schaeffer also holds some reservations about what he calls “the ‘Get out to Vote’ campaign style” because he feels that it overlooks the fact that “if people want to vote, they will. If they don’t want to vote, they won’t, plain and simple.”

As is true with the College Democrats, the College Republicans also work to maintain a political presence on campus for those interested in getting involved.