‘National Service Day for Kerry was a show of unity’

I am writing as a former intern of the Washington Leadership Program conducted by the IACPA and as a director of National Service Day for Kerry (held on Oct. 23) –– an unprecedented, student-driven event aimed at demonstrating support for John Kerry through charity work as a climactic show of unity among young people. The idea is similar to that of the National Gandhi Day of Service, and was founded by Amit Patel, an Indian-American student at Stanford University who is completing his senior year with a B.A. in International Relations. His work in trying to organize a nationwide campus program, represents the largest effort of a South Asian Americans and perhaps any college student, to try and mobilize the generation of college student voters.

From Stanford to UT-Austin to Ohio State, thousands of students from almost 60 college campuses across the country are participating in this National Service Day for Kerry.

Our goals are to educate young adults about the issues that face everyday Americans and show the country why John Kerry inspires us. According to The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, in presidential election years between 1972 and 2000, the national youth voter turnout rate has declined from 14.2 percent to 8 percent.

Service Day for Kerry was founded as a way to energize and encourage young Americans to participate in the political process rather than subscribe to the belief that corporate and special interests should dominate the president’s agenda. Service Day for Kerry is particularly compelling given its rebuttal to the typical notion that students are unduly self-concerned.

‘I am fortunate to work with people devoted to re-elect Bush’

Over the past several months I have had incredible opportunities to see, first hand, the function and execution of government. My time in Washington, D.C., in the office of Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) and my trip to New Delhi sponsored by the Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA) were exceptional. I knew that I wanted to remain proactively involved in the political process and make use of the knowledge and experience that I had gained in these endeavors. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I found these prospects plentiful. Earlier this fall, I had the privilege of working as an assistant field director for a Republican Senate Candidate, Russ Darrow. Although he ultimately lost in the primary, I became familiar with what is involved in the campaign process. Shortly thereafter, I started on with the Republican Party of Wisconsin assisting with the Help America to Vote Act (HAVA) procedures. In this charge, I have learned about the intricacies of the laws that are in place to ensure that all votes are appropriately cast and considered.

I have also been fortunate to work with a group of people who are passionately devoted to re-electing the President George W. Bush. I am looking forward to drawing from these experiences as I continue on with school and engaging in the political process.

‘I make sure that students are aware of voting guidelines’

At the University of Georgia, members of the Indian Cultural Exchange (ICE) have been working hard to make sure that students vote on Nov. 2. Myself and the two Political chairs with ICE, Amulya Nagarur and Vasu Kaushish, first made sure that students were registered to vote and aware of all their options concerning where they could vote and how.

One major event where voters were registered was at Earthlink Live in Atlanta at a fund-raising event for Raksha, a nonprofit South Asian community organization dedicated to promoting a stronger community through support services, education and advocacy.

Different age-groups were represented at the show, which featured Penn Masala, and many were registered two days before the Oct. 4 registration deadline in Georgia.

In the final week before the election, I am making sure that students are aware of voting guidelines and the possibility to vote early in their respective districts.

On Nov. 2, Nagarur and Kaushish are offering rides to ICE members who might need transportation to the elections.

‘I could live off minimum wage if it means defeat for Bush’

I am currently a field organizer for the Michigan Coordinated Campaign for Kerry/Edwards in Battle Creek, MI. I have had previous experience with organizing, volunteering and coordinating when I was with the Max Cleland for Senate campaign in Georgia. I worked to ensure that John Kerry and the democrats win a critical part of Western Michigan which has become one of the top targets for the Republicans this year. I organize volunteers to make phone calls, to knock on doors, to send out mass mailings, etc. I also did outreach to the local African-American, Latino and Asian-American communities. As the election drew near I strategized for the last 72 hours of the election to ensure that all democrats go vote, as well as brainstormed on how to counter the attacks from the Republicans. A graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in economics and political science, I felt that I could live off minimum wage and lose 15 pounds if it means seeing Bush leave the White House. In the future I hope to continue to work in politics in some capacity but will definitely take a vacation no matter who wins the election.

‘I am ‘poll watching’ for the county Democratic Party’

For the past three months I have spent extraordinary amounts of time campaigning for Democrats in local and national elections at Grinnell College in central Iowa. When I arrived on campus, I attended the first meeting of Grinnell’s chapter of Young Democrats. Despite the large turnout, I was disappointed to see that I was the only racial minority present.

I discussed the matter with the chair of the group, and we decided to form a Multicultural Committee to help organize and mobilize communities of color behind Democratic candidates.

As leader of the committee, I have addressed the minority group organizations on campus and increased the presence of students of color at Young Democrats meetings.

One of our greatest successes came with early voting on Oct. 5. On the day for early voting, Young Democrats sent representatives throughout the campus to remind people of the merits for voting early.

The result was great. More than a third of the student body cast ballots, the vast majority of which were for Kerry and other Democrats. With such great turnout for early voting, we have been able to reallocate some of our resources beyond the campus to the community and surrounding areas.

On the morning of the election day, I am driving people from the college and other areas to their polling sites. In the late afternoon and night, I am “poll watching” for the county Democratic Party to let them know who has already voted and who should be called to go to the polls.

‘Helping in Kerry’s campaign’

I am currently interning for Senator Chuck Schu-

mer from New York who’s running for his second term. I’m working on his campaign and it’s coordinated with the Kerry campaign for some activities, which I also help out with.

This is my second year interning for the Senator and first time working on his campaign.

‘I will perhaps be a poll monitor’

I led a team of volunteers in a voter registration drive in Flushing, Queens, for South Asian American Voting Youth (SAAVY) during the South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow’s (SAALT) Gandhi Day of Service. I am also registered to work with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) on their Asian American Election Protection Project. I will either be a poll monitor to protect Asian American voting rights or be administering exit poll surveys. They haven’t given me a final work assignment yet.

‘Focus was on absentee ballot’

I am an analyst with a management consulting firm who organized a voter registration drive for my firm.

I focused on increasing awareness of the absentee ballot request process/deadlines because everyone at our firm is always traveling on business during the week, and will likely be away from home on Election Day.

(Compiled by Ela Dutt and Nisha Jain. For more information on Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA) visit www.)