In my politics class, Nina, one of the 22 students, particularly distinguishes herself from the rest of the group. While almost everybody quietly listens to the professor’s lecture about the last homework reading, at least three times a class Nina raises her hand: she stretches her fingers towards the black board and shakes them to become more visible and mumbles to become audible to the professor. When the professor finally relieves her from the pain of having to stay quiet, she starts to run at the mouth: “In my home state Missouri, unfortunately, a very red state, people support Donald Trump because…” Usually she spends about two minutes giving a political statement. During that time, many of the students ostentatiously roll their eyes or rest their heads on the table until Nina finishes her monologue. Frequently I hear a “Oh my god” or “Please not again” from the back of the classroom. Although sometimes I am among the groaning people, I am generally impressed by her ability to give a political statement about almost every possible political issue and to have such a deep passion for politics.
Recently before class, she asked her classmates to volunteer for the gubernatorial campaign of Democratic candidate Jay Gonzales. As I went up to her and asked her why I should volunteer for Jay Gonzales, her eyes lit up and she started off: “First of all, Gonzales is going to modernize our transport system. Have you ever taken the T? It’s a disaster…” She later told me that I should come to one of the College Democrats meetings to learn more about his campaign.
Indeed, my curiosity led me to one the weekly meetings of the College Democrats in Gasson on a Monday evening. I tried to sneak to a corner of the last row of the auditorium in order to be able to take notes of the event, but as I passed by a sitting group of people in the front, somebody shouted: “Hey you look new! Do you want to sit down with us?” My plan of secretly taking notes got destroyed, but I felt warmly welcomed by this invitation. I introduced myself to the group and it felt like I immediately had new friends. I met Julio, the student telling me to sit down with his group, who was volunteering for the Jay Gonzales campaign. Every Saturday and Sunday for the past two weeks, Julio has been calling strangers and promoted change for Massachusetts under Jay Gonzales. He complained that many people he talks to claim that the current governor Charlie Baker isn’t bad. “Is that the new standard for Massachusetts? A governor who isn’t too bad?” Like Nina he then listed the campaign promises that would make Gonzales a better governor than Baker.
In the front of the classroom were seven people: six deputies and the president of the club, Patrick Coyne, an easy-going and calm Senior student. Patrick started off the meeting: “We’ve had a very busy last week, both in the world and on campus. Who of you showed up to the Black Lives Matter Solidarity March last Friday?” The whole room of more than fifty people raised their hands. As the president looked at all the raised hands around the room, he applauded and soon the auditorium was clapping about the high turnout of people. I didn’t go to the march because as I only came to the US two months ago, I am not as deeply engaged in the Black Lives Matter movement as people who better understand the racism issue in the US. Nevertheless, I felt peer pressured to hide my alibi and also raised my hand with the rest of the crowd. The time of the protest was on a Friday afternoon conflicting with many people’s class schedule. Was I really the only one who didn’t go to the protest or were there more people who didn’t want to expose themselves to contemptuous glances of their peers?
Later I conducted an interview with Patrick and he explained to me the severity of racism on campus. He believes that as the majority of the student body comes from white privileged backgrounds, many students don’t understand how ignorant racist acts can offend and hurt people: “Telling a group of people that they’re not welcome because they don’t fit in the homogeneity of the university, is one of the most unmoral things that students can do. Everybody, regardless of their background or their sexual orientation, should feel welcome here.” He claimed that the biggest problem on campus are the “bystanders” who disagree with the discrimination of their peers but don’t speak up for their values: “Those are the people who let their friends vandalize Black Lives Matter posters or don’t condemn racism at rallies like the one we had on campus last Friday.” Immediately, my face started to blush as I found myself guilty of being one of the “bystanders”.
The club distinguishes itself through its outspoken unity against racism. Nevertheless, it almost seems like there is a unitary opinion about almost all political topics. At the end of the club meeting, one of the deputies, standing out from the rest of the group by wearing white socks with sandals and shorts on a cold autumn day, talked about foreign politics: “We have bad news from Europe: In Austria, the far-right candidate Sebastian Kurz won the national elections. I guess the Austrians have a thing for far-right politicians.” Many people laughed. In my view, Sebastian Kurz cannot be considered a far-right politician but much more centre-right. But what struck me far more was the reference to Adolf Hitler. As an Austrian resident, I felt deeply insulted by that cynical remark. Because nearly everybody’s grandparents suffered under the Nazi regime in Central Europe, we are still very sensitive about this topic. However, everybody seemed to agree with the misconception that Austria was ruled by the far right again and nobody seemed to find the Nazi joke inappropriate. This shows that political statements through the absence of oppositional views lose their grounds and meanings. Certainly, the club would benefit from less biased club members who are more critical towards seeming political dogmas of the club leaders.
I asked Patrick who his favourite Democratic politician was and he gave me a self-confident two-minute answer: “Clearly, JF Kennedy was one of the greatest politicians as he not only made enormous technological and social accomplishments, but also because he fiercely fought against the Soviets.” When I asked him who his favourite Republican was, he struggled to come up with someone. “I disagree with all of them,” he finally said and smiled. This statement seriously troubled me as there must be at least a few Republicans who have positively affected the US but Patrick simply denies them because they are from the “wrong” party. When I pointed this out to him, he agreed with me that discussions with people of different opinions are important to strengthen your own opinions. Opponents help us rethink the grounds of our opinions and if we can’t defend them, although this sometimes is very painful, we need to adjust them.
When I told him that from my observations at the club meetings almost all members blindly agree to the same political statements, he explained that the purpose of the club is not to question Democratic values but to strengthen them: The club wants to form a strong Democratic community of politically active students who stand up for their liberal values. According to Patrick, Boston College has the stereotype of having a very conservative student body with mostly Republican voters. Nevertheless, the statistics say that in reality 75% of the students consider themselves as Democrats. However, Republicans on campus are more visible and louder than Democrats: While 25% of the Republicans on campus are active in the College Republican club, only 10% of the Democrats have joined the College Democrats. According to Patrick, these numbers are the cause of the bystander problem on campus: Most people are voting Democrat, but not enough people are standing up for their Democratic values, one of which is to condemn any kind of discrimination.
Standing up for your political beliefs isn’t easy, neither in your personal life, nor in your professional life. That’s what Patrick’s father Dr. Brian Coyne, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Rhode Island Governor, told us during a club meeting talk. A serious looking man in his 50s, with wide grey pants and black blazer, at least two sizes too big at his shoulders and two sizes too tight at his waist, resting his arms on the podium, explained his career path: “When I ran for the Michael Dukakis presidential campaign in 1988, I rejected a PHD scholarship at Harvard because I was sure I would become chief advisor at the white house. Things turned out differently: After we had lost, I didn’t work in the white house, but got unemployed.” This witty remark exemplifies the frustrations and uncertainties of a life in politics and make Patrick’s father a role model for the College Democrats.
No matter how bumpy the path for a career might be, Patrick is still dreaming of a future as politician. He agreed to become president to prepare himself for the career. As president of hundreds of inscribed club members and six deputies, every week, he has to plan which topics get discussed and which speakers get invited to the club meetings. While this gives him leadership experience, he also pursues a vison for the university: to make the Democrats more visible on campus by recruiting students like Nina and Julio. The club meetings help them get politically informed and engage them in politics. Consequently, politics and social issues are more important to them than for students whose only political action is to vote Democrat on election day. Certainly, Nina and Julio are, therefore, also more likely to stand up for their values and will more likely condemn discriminatory behaviour of their peers and not act as bystanders like myself. Nevertheless, they also need to get their opinions questioned from people outside of the Democratic bubble, in order to readjust them and strengthen them. Their party’s values must not be seen as political dogmas and their opponent’s values must not be seen as categorical falsehoods.
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