November 15, 2012
A memorable presidential campaign came to an enthusiastic finish at
St. John’s University on November 6 as students concluded their
nearly two-month-long
PARTICIPATE ’12 initiative with an Election Night Watch Party
at the Queens, NY, campus.
Photo Gallery - Queens
Photo Gallery - Staten Island
“The PARTICIPATE program has grown in size and substance since its
creation in fall 2008,” said Brian Browne ’93C, ’97G, Assistant
Vice President for Government Relations, who joined the celebration
at the D’Angelo
Center. Browne coordinated this year’s program, which began on
September 17 when the University hosted Constitution Day debates at
both its Queens and Staten Island
campuses.
"I
was thrilled to see so much student interest in watching and
engaging in this debate,” said Greg Mitchell ’10C, President of the
College Republicans. Erin Kennedy ’09C, President of the College
Democrats, emphasized the importance of campus debates. “We need to
hear from our peers on all sides,” she said, “not only so we can be
better informed, but so we can make strong decisions about our
future.”
The presidential and vice-presidential debates that garnered so
much national attention were the focus of four viewing parties that
were held in different locations on the Queens campus, beginning
with the October 3 presidential debate in Montgoris Hall’s
second-floor lounge. Discussions ensued immediately following each
debate.
Featuring several members of the New York State Assembly and
Senate, the “Meet the Candidates” event was held at the Staten
Island campus on September 22. Students like Mark Lipari ’14C gave
participants high marks for their civility. “I thought it was going
to be a debate with everyone yelling back and forth,” said the
finance major. “But there was a lot of congeniality between them. I
was pleasantly surprised.” This year’s initiative also included a
discussion of the political documentary Street Fight with
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Marshall Curry and voter
registration drives.
The Queens campus hosted similar “Meet the Candidates” affairs,
beginning with “Meet the Candidates for New York State Legislature”
on October 9 in the Belson Moot Court Room. Two weeks later, local
candidates for the House of Representatives and Senate took center
stage at the same location for the “Meet the Candidates for Federal
Office” event.
Looking back on campus involvement and the election as a whole,
Browne was impressed with the level of interest of young voters.
“In spite of many predictions that this election year’s youth-voter
turnout would decrease as compared to 2008, turnout by young voters
(18–29 years old) actually increased in 2012,” said Browne. “That
is at the heart of the PARTICIPATE initiative — getting young
voters engaged and involved in the political process.”
PARTICIPATE will return in 2013 as the region prepares for the
upcoming New York City mayoral and other local elections.
Follow the St. John’s University PARTICIPATE initiative on Twitter
@STJ_PARTICIPATE.