💡 Get Philly smart 💡
with BP’s free daily newsletter
Read the news of the day in less than 10 minutes — not that we’re counting.
You’re back to school, settling into the dorm, religiously setting the party/happy hour schedule that will define your semester. It’s time to talk politics.
This election cycle is, if anything, entertaining. Donald Trump is *still* in the race for the White House. Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders is gaining traction in battleground states and could give Hillary Clinton a run for her money. And, if all goes well in the universe, we’ll have a Kanye West run for president in 2020…? If you want anywhere near those races next fall, you’re going to need to get started now. You’ll be the old pro that incoming students turn to. You’ll know the ropes. You’ll be running things.
And even besides the national names and races that are dominating news coverage everywhere right now, there’s a lot going on locally that you can get involved in, especially if you’ve just stepped foot on one of Philadelphia’s City Six college campuses. Here are some of the best ways that you can get involved politically on your campus:
Drexel University
Drexel College Democrats: The Drexel College Democrats pledge themselves to educate and encourage students to participate in all political affairs. Find the Drexel College Democrats on Facebook and on their website.
Drexel College Republicans: Drexel University College Republicans is a group dedicated to promoting and practicing conservative ideology. DUCR is involved with the Republican Party of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Republican City Committee. Find more information about joining the Drexel College Republicans on their Facebook page. Find contact information here.
Dragons for Israel: Dragons for Israel, DFI, is Drexel University’s pro-Israel association. DFI is an organization for Drexel University students, organizations, faculty and administration who share a belief in Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. DFI works toward stimulating interest in Israeli social, cultural, economic, political, and military affairs and endorses a strong and prosperous relationship between the United States and Israel. Find more information about the group on their Facebook page and on their profile on Collegiate Link.
Drexel Students for Life: Drexel Students for Life is a pro-life group dedicated to pro-life values and the defense of all life from conception to natural death. We would like to promote these values primarily through education, advocacy, and action. Find more information on their Facebook page and on their profile on Collegiate Link. Email mkl62@drexel.edu for information about joining.
La Salle University
La Salle College Democrats: The College Democrats work to foster and encourage the activities of the Democratic Party, assist in the election of Democratic candidates to local, state, and national office, and formulate and administer programs aimed at involving college students in the Democratic Party. To get involved, email phillipsk7@student.lasalle.edu. Find more information on their Facebook page.
La Salle College Republicans: The College Republicans work to foster and encourage the activities of the Republican Party, assist in the election of Republican candidates to local, state, and national office, and formulate and administer programs aimed at involving college students in the Republican Party. To get involved, contact cooneym2@student.lasalle.edu. Find more information here.
University of Pennsylvania
UPenn College Democrats: The University of Pennsylvania Democrats is a student-run Democratic organization open to all members of the Penn community — undergraduate and graduate alike. Their mission is to provide a stimulating and enjoyable forum for the discussion of politics and current events, as well as to coordinate internship opportunities with campaigns. Find them on social media on Facebook and on Twitter. Learn how to get involved at a meeting tonight at Room 350 in Huntsmann. More information on that meeting can be found here.
UPenn College Republicans: The Penn College Republicans strive to promote conservative values and ideals on campus by creating a strong sense of community among Penn’s conservative students. They hold speaker events, organize grassroots campaign initiatives, and host social events throughout each semester. Find them on social media on Facebook and on Twitter. They have a meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. in JMHH room 270. More information on that meeting can be found here.
J Street U Penn: J Street U Penn is a group that provides a framework for a frank and open discussion about contemporary issues in Israel and the wider Middle East. Find them on Facebook here. The group is hosting a Labor Day festival on Sept. 7at High Rise Field, and you can find more information about that event here.
Penn For Hillary: This group was established for Penn students to support presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Email iraniem@sas.upenn.edu for information about involvement.
Penn Leads the Vote: PLTV is a nonpartisan, student led, voter mobilization effort on Penn’s campus. For more information on joining the gruop, contact pennleadsthevote@gmail.com.
Penn Students for Bernie Sanders: A group to promote Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential run. An official chapter of College Students for Bernie. For more information, visit the group’s website or email matre@sas.upenn.edu.
Penn Students for Justice in Palestine: This group’s purpose is to raise awareness and promote dialogue about the issues going on Palestine (whether cultural, historical, political, etc.) through events such as movie screenings, discussions and speaker events. Find more information about the group at their website. They meet Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. at ARCH room 108.
Women’s Political League: The purpose of this group is to encourage women to run for office, become leaders in public service, and advocate for policy issues related to women’s rights. Find more information on their Facebook page. The group has a meeting Sunday at 6 p.m., and you can find more information about that meeting here. Email womenspolitical@gmail.com or katesam@sas.upenn.edu with questions.
St. Joseph’s University
St. Joe’s College Republicans: This organization works to give a voice on campus to students interested in conservative politics. Contact collegerepublicans@sju.edu for more information, or you can find them on social media on Facebook and on Twitter.
No contact information or other info is listed for St. Joe’s College Democrats.
Temple University
Temple College Democrats: Temple College Democrats is a student organization that aims to support the philosophies and the candidates of the Democratic Party and supported by the Democratic National Committee. Find more information about the group on their website. Their first meeting is tonight at 6 p.m. at the Mitten Hall Owl’s Cove, and you can find more information about that meeting here.
Temple College Republicans: Temple College Republicans works to help get Republican candidates elected at the local, state, and national level as well as promote the conservative message on Temple University’s campus. Find more information about the group on their website. For information about joining, send an email to templecollegerepublicans@gmail.com.
15Now of Temple University: Temple 15now is a branch of 15now, an organization devoted to raising the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour and to the rights of working class people. The group meets Mondays at 5 p.m. in Morgan Hall room S253. Find more information about the group on their Facebook page.
Temple Democratic Socialists: This group works on activism, education, consciousness-raising, and mobilization for labor, environmental, anti-racist, feminists, anti-war issues, and all issues related to democratic equality. For more information, email tudemocraticsocialists@gmail.com.
Villanova University
Villanova College Democrats: This group seeks to promote Democratic values and progressive change both on our campus and in the greater community. Find more information on the group’s Facebook page and Twitter.
Villanova College Republicans: The group aims to make known and promote the principles of the Republican Party among members of the Villanova University campus and community and to aid in the election of Republican candidates at all levels of government. For more information, email villanovacollegerepublicans@gmail.com.
Villanova Political Awareness Club: VPAC provides an opportunity for Villanova students of any political persuasion to engage in discussions about today’s pressing issues. Contact amoore10@villanova.edu to get involved and find more information about the group on their Facebook page.
