College Democrats and College Republicans are becoming active in nationalcampaigns for presidency as elections get closer.

As the College Democrats reflected on their trip to the Young Democrats Convention in Greensboro, N.C., the College Republicans contemplated their five-day trip to Washington, D.C. for Conservative Political Action Conference.

Tara Ilsley, president of the College Democrats, said the College Democrats just returned from the Young Democrats Convention where they discussed plans for the 2008 elections.

“We have a lot of great kids that are really interested in politics,” Ilsley, a sophomore in political science, said.

According to Ilsley, the College Democrats are focusing on the three top runners in the party: Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton and John Edwards.

She said a lot of young people, Republicans and Democrats alike, are advocating for Obama.

“[He’s] a breath of fresh air to dirty politics,” Ilsley said.

Andrew Bates, director for students for Barack Obama and director of communications for the College Democrats, said the next event concerning Obama will be March 31.

He said the event is a series of parties where Obama supporters will gather.

“They’ll participate in an interactive town hall meeting with Sen. Obama,” Bates, a sophomore in political science, said.

Christine DiPietro, vice chair of the College Republicans and a sophomore in political science, said the College Republicans recently went to Washington, D.C., for five days to participate in CPAC, where they heard all of the candidates for presidency speak except for John McCain.

She said although the College Republicans are doing a lot for the elections, the group is staying open to all of the candidates until the party chooses whom to support.

“We’ve done a lot,” she said. “We’re really encouraging our members to discover the candidates.”

College Democrats and College Republicans comment on the importance of getting involved in the national elections early.

DiPietro said soon the party is going to decide the issues that will be big in the primaries.

“It’s very important to get involved right now because right now is when we’re making the issues,” she said.

According to Ilsley, college students need to realize how much the president influences their lives. She said tuition increases are a result of George Bush’s time in office.

“It’s time to turn our country around,” she said. “Now so more than ever, we need to pay attention to national elections.”

Bates said it’s important that students get out there and support the best candidate. He said young people have the chance to be real assets to campaigns and to get their voices heard.

“Young people have a great deal to offer right now in [a] system that often makes them feel disenfranchised and hopeless,” he said.