In the today’s political spectrum, college students are stereotyped as apathetic and “a waste of campaign resources.” However, it was our youth vote that turned out eighty percent of Orange County voters; seventy five percent of which voted for Barack Obama. In an analysis on CNN later that week, it was made obvious that the counties of the greatest democratic prevalence were that of the districts containing the major Florida universities. This suggests the conclusion that students had been the catalyst in the process of turning this great state blue.

At the core of these state universities, chapters of College Democrats teamed up with community organizers in order to catch the attention of these apathetic students with the use of voter registration drives, canvassing, and the nationwide Get Out The Vote (GOTV) project. Ever since the election of Barack Obama in 2008, the College Democrats at UCF have utilized the skills learned from the Campaign for Change and have taken the initiative to get the same students to support progressive legislation such as the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Affordable Health Care for All bill. We have also distinguished our chapter in the Florida College Democrats, quickly becoming the most active chapter in the state. In addition, we have forged a new relationship with the College Democrats of America and now regularly attend their seasonal meetings.

In the new year we are as ambitious as ever. The opportunities to affect change are all around us. With midterm elections just around the corner, the College Democrats at UCF plan to make our mark in races at all levels. We will connect our members by providing them with active internships for credit as an incentive to get them involved in real campaign work. Our partnership with Organizing for America has given us endless opportunities for the involvement of college students. If your interests are focused on learning about the political system with an insider's perspective, the College Democrats at UCF is the club for you. If you are interested in being an activist, and moving the community, the state, and the nation in a positive direction, we hope you will join us. We are proud of what we do, and we are always looking for more friends and fellow Democrats. We welcome newly-interested students to our meetings every Wednesday at 7:00 PM at the Student Union in the Key West Ballroom.