Because real politicans can’t always be as entertaining as their Saturday Night Live couterparts, students are trying to shake up politics as usual this election season by adding a few simple twists to traditional political events. For many of us, this will be the first time we get to vote in a national election. Here are a few ways Lawrence youth are adding a little fun to the process by stepping up to promote political awareness and involvement in fresh ways that appeal to younger voters.

Political Party

Senior Michael Gray decided to help host a watch party with an “Americana” theme for the VP debate on Oct. 2 complete with fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

“We’re all sort of political nerds,” Gray says. “We’re all involved in student government and we talk about the election, so [the debates] provided new commentary for us to discuss.”

Although 52.4 million people watched the first presidential debate, that number could hardly compare to the nearly 70 million who tuned in to see Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden battle it out Oct. 2 in the VP debates. Students had plenty of options to choose from when deciding where to tune in on the action, and whether it was at Abe and Jake’s, the Kansas Union or Nunemaker Center on campus, students found exciting ways to spice up the evening.

The watch party at Abe and Jake’s Landing began with a conference call with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to generate discussion before the debate was shown on a big screen TV. Other students chose to participate in a focus group at Nunemaker Center. Manhattan junior Rita Weiss says she enjoys the atmosphere of watching the debates in a group.

“I like watching with this group,” Weiss says. “I like hearing people’s thoughts as it’s going on. I definitely had my own opinions, but this initiates dialogue.”

Study participants at Nunemaker turned dials that corresponded to how they felt about the candidates’ words as they spoke. The data compiled at KU will eventually be combined with data from colleges across the country according to study organizer Mary Banwart, Associate Professor of Communication Studies.

Get out the Vote

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 41.9 percent of people aged 18-24 voted during the last presidential election in 2004, a full 10 percent lower than voter turnout for people ages 25-44. That was a dramatic increase from the 32.3 percent of 18-24 year olds who turned out in the 2000 election, but activists are looking for an even bigger youth turnout this November. Many student activists are taking it upon themselves to see that young people are getting registered by creating exciting ways to entice them to the polls.

Kansas for Obama and the Douglas County chapter of Paint Kansas Blue, two Democratic activist groups, have created a “Baracktoberfest Pub Crawl” in which they start at opposite sides of Massachusetts Street, and hit bars between Sixth and 11th streets, registering anyone in sight to vote.

“We decided to get people registered at bars because a lot of times these are people who are interested in politics but don’t know that they need to get registered or how to register,” says John Cross, a KU graduate and the Douglas County Student Outreach Director for the Kansas Democratic Party. “It’s really about finding people who are interested in politics and empowering them.”

Dustin Hall, another KU graduate, has seen the potential students and young voters have to sway elections, and has created a Facebook group urging Democrats and Republicans to register to vote.

“The first time I was able to vote was the year Al Gore and President Bush were running against each other,” Hall says. “I didn’t know the whole registration process and by the time I figured out where I needed to be and what I needed to do I had missed the deadline already.”

Hall is trying to make sure that this same thing doesn’t happen to other young voters by informing people about their options and responsibilities. But the process doesn’t stop with registering or voting.

“There are so many ways for students to get involved,” Cross says. “Our generation has never had such a huge opportunity to have our voices heard. It doesn’t begin and end with that one vote on Nov. 4.”

Getting Involved

The party doesn’t have to end just because the debates have. Election Day is just around the corner, and what better excuse to throw a party on a Tuesday night? Invite your friends over for a rousing game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, or, if you prefer, Pin the Lipstick on the Pit bull. Ask guests to dress as political figures and award the best costume with an I.O.U. of some kind—courtesy of our failing economy. Look for more theme, decoration and game ideas on Web sites like shindigzparty.wordpress.com.

You can also get involved with the election by volunteering at polling sites in Douglas County. Students interested can check out Web sites for the Kansas Republican and Democratic parties online at www.ksgop.org or www.ksdp.org for more information.