Students Advocate for College Democrats Club

Photo Courtesy of Sower Staff 

By Olivia Proctor

CUNE students are interested in starting a college Democrats club and biology professor Jennifer Fruend is helping organize the group.

“Like most good clubs, everything started from student interest,” Fruend said. “It’s just really neat to see that interest in something beyond the walls of the university, and how we act as Christians.”

Fruend said the increased interest may be due to the Nov. 3 election for offices from president down to local city councils and school boards.

“Students started talking, and, you know, being a political year, people started talking more,” Fruend said. 

The club is still in the early stages and organizers are not sure whether the group will affiliate with any other organization, such as the College Democrats of America. Fruend said it may depend on whether the Concordia’s College Republicans club is affiliated with an official organization. 

“I’ve pulled out [the College Democrats] bylaws and everything and I think we could easily do that,” Fruend said. “I’m not tied to that idea, it’s just, once again, what the students want.”

Tyler Bartels, a sophomore and member of the Concordia College Republicans, said he supports more political dialogue on campus and expressed interest in the possibility of forming some sort of discussion or debate between the two clubs at some point in the future.

“I think it is good because it provides further outreach to our students here on campus,” Bartels said. “Even though both parties have different outlooks on things and different opinions, discussion, disagreement, debate — all of that is good for personal and social growth and development.”

Bartels said even though there may be disagreements “people can converse about it and understand each other’s side.”