This 2012 presidential election was one of the closest races in U.S. electoral history with an unprecedented amount of attention and money devoted to the campaigns. 

WKU students participated in a national get out the vote effort geared toward engaging college students in the election.

The Department of Political Science worked collaboratively with the Democratic and Republican party to make all the arrangements — hotel, transportation, logistics.  

Our delegation was assigned to Hamilton County, home of Cincinnati, the deciding county in Ohio. For seventy two hours we canvassed in the rain, cold and sleet; answered telephones and rallied for our candidate.

Together we knocked on over 5,000 doors! 

All of us on the trip were strong partisans with deeply held political views and convictions. We laughed, had spirited debates, ate together, and worked hard for Obama and Romney.

I was so proud of our delegation; we represented different socioeconomic statuses, races, genders and ideologies.

The students’ spirit of engagement, their willingness to disagree yet not demonize, the ability to listen and share experiences, to see the “human” face of those that oppose you — that’s what it’s all about.

More than anything else, I hope that this is the face of the future. And I am so thankful that I, as teacher and mentor, can play a small role in shaping that future.

— Saundra Ardrey

 

Political Science 

Department head