By Brittany Esposito
Staff Reporter
Publication Date: 11/27/07
Purdue students involved in politics know it's not always about winning.
The campaigns that John Seramur, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts, has volunteered for have never yielded a win, but he isn't discouraged.
"I know that everything I do will, in the long run, benefit the majority of people," he said.
Seramur is one of a number of college students who are involving themselves in the democratic process. For some students, like Amanda Thayer, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts, voting just isn't enough.
"Once I turned 18 and was able to vote, I thought it was really important to be educated on some of the issues," Thayer said.
The desire to be an informed voter drove Thayer to join the College Republicans. She is now the chairwoman for the organization and is involved in the Purdue Republican Women. Her volunteer work on Ross McMullin's campaign garnered her an internship in healthcare.
"It had nothing to do with politics, but through my involvement I was able to make that connection that helped me with my career," she said.
Some students take full advantage of the benefits of political involvement, while others are faithfully apathetic.
"There is kind of a lack of involvement, but the students who are involved really go to an extreme," Seramur said. "I'd love to see more students involved, as long as they're excited about it."
Seramur's experiences included heavy involvement in a door-to-door grassroots campaign for a candidate running in his hometown of Valparaiso, Ind., handing out fliers and spreading the word. For the political science major, the miles traveled were more fun than work.
"I enjoy politicking, I really like people," he said.
Thayer said politics can be helpful for anyone who get involved.
"It can really take you places," she said. "I feel like I'm so much more knowledgeable about what goes on in our state and at a national level."