Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: News

This semester, the race for Democratic presidential nominee is neck-and-neck between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

During this politically charged time, Western's College Democrats have been inactive.

Kentuckians will vote in a primary on May 20.

Normally before an election, the group would promote candidates through methods including voter registration drives, phone banks and door-to-door appeals. Other organizations, such as the local Obama Campaign office, carry those roles.

Confusion about leadership and declining membership last fall contributed to the group's inactivity, said Elissa Belak, public relations co-chair for the group.

Horse Branch senior Tim Morris served as president last fall. He planned to graduate in December, and the group was supposed to elect a new president, Belak said.

Morris said he didn't graduate because of problems with his degree program, and he didn't continue his presidency when he returned this semester.

He said his class work and job took all his time, and he assumed the group would elect a new president as planned.

No one contacted the 10 core members of the group to have an election, Belak said.

Involvement in the College Democrats had been declining since about October, Morris said.

"People got really busy and I think they didn't feel like they were part of a group that they needed to be in," Morris said.

One reason the group became inactive is because members kept graduating, said Saundra Ardrey, head of the political science department and the faculty adviser for the College Democrats.

"It's really hard to sustain your activities and your plans when you have this constant turnover," Ardrey said. "What we should do is try to recruit our freshmen students so that they become as comfortable and then they can take some leadership roles also."

The fall was a transition semester for the group. The former president, vice president and secretary graduated last May, and new officers were elected for the fall, Belak said. The new leadership focused on raising involvement.

Members of the College Democrats have been politically active this semester outside the organization. Belak and some other members support Barack Obama's campaign.

Morris has been working on U.S. Senate hopeful Greg Fischer's campaign. He said his support distributing fliers and signs at night works with his schedule.

Non-partisan political involvement has been high this semester in the Political Engagement Project and on efforts such as the ONE campaign, Ardrey said.

The goal of the PEP is to get students politically involved across party lines.

Belak expects the College Democrats to be more involved next semester.

"My hope is that the leadership committee of last semester can get together in August and rally up the troops," Belak said.

Ardrey said the political atmosphere during the presidential election will increase involvement.

"It's an opportunity for our college democrats to get excited and get involved in the campaign, because it's right here in Bowling Green now," Ardrey said.

Reach Eileen Ryan at news@chherald.com.