With new club members from activities fair sign-ups and the first four weeks of classes in the books, campus political organizations are cementing their plans, both new and recurring, for the upcoming school year.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D.) of New Mexico and Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah (R.) will speak at the University on Friday in partnership with Notre Dame's Democracy Initiative. Following their conversation, Grisham will be meeting with College Democrats for breakfast on Saturday, sponsored by the Hesburgh Program in Public Service.
Political director Alex Funk from the College Democrats (CDems) discussed her excitement about the event. “That’s something really cool … It’s a very unique opportunity, because that one’s going to be a lot more intimate than the conversation with the two governors, because it’s specifically for Notre Dame College Democrats members,” Funk said.
Funk highlighted another event on Friday. Mallory McMorrow, Notre Dame alumna and Michigan senate majority whip, is hosting a book signing and meet-and-greet at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore from 3:30–5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Funk noted that McMorrow has a strong relationship with CDems.
She also noted that Congressman Frank Mrvan of Indiana is coming to speak at Notre Dame on September 25 from 2–3 p.m., as well as Congressman Brendan Boyle, a Notre Dame alum and representative of Pennsylvania’s 2nd District on Friday, Oct. 3, from 10–11 a.m. These will primarily be Q&A sessions with spots for students affiliated with CDems and other campus organizations.
CDems-exclusive events this year will include “spooky ‘Jeopardy!’” and “speed-friending.”
CDems will also return to D.C. this spring. Funk spoke to the value of the trip for her last year. “We met with a bunch of different organizations, like the environmental defense fund, and people on Capitol Hill … It was such a great way to learn about what Notre Dame has to offer for the College Democrats,” she said.
BridgeND, a political organization focused on bridging the partisan divide on campus, noted their excitement for their new column in The Observer.
“That was something that we had a couple of years back … but we’re back, we’re excited about it, and I’m working on an article right now!” Says BridgeND president Edy McCurrie.
The club’s flagship event, Converge ND, is currently scheduled for October 8 from 6:30–8 p.m. in Dahnke Ballroom. At the event, participants are paired with a partner whose political views differ from their own. McCurrie says that she’s “hoping to have some collaboration from College Democrats and College Republicans” for this event.
BridgeND’s goal “is especially important after last week’s events, so we know that what we are doing on campus is important and we hope that other people share our same goals,” McCurrie said.
Additionally, the organization hosts bi-weekly meetings with presentations and facilitated conversations surrounding how to bridge the political divide both on-campus and in the US as a whole.
For the College Republicans (CReps), plans are in the works for the fall.
At their next meeting Wednesday, Sept. 24, CReps is planning to honor Charlie Kirk (pending Student Activities Office approval). Co-President Shri Thakur says that it will be a social event in which students can get to know each other while mourning the loss of Kirk.
CReps is also looking to invite White House employees to campus to speak to students.
“We’re looking forward to bringing a lot of different people from the government who can talk to us about their experience, and potentially get some of our members connected in Washington as well as build ties between ND students and the White House,” Thakur wrote in a statement to The Observer. He hopes that White House members will speak on “the conservative approach to a variety of different policy matters, whether it's trade, immigration, or other topics.”
Thakur mentioned that there were bureaucratic difficulties from both sides necessary to bring these individuals on to campus, and that nothing is concrete just yet.
The organization plans on continuing its mission from previous years, which Thakur defined in his written statement as “educating people on a variety of different issues, providing a community where like-minded people can get to know each other … and preparing young conservatives at Notre Dame to make an impact in politics.”
