College Students Spurn Politics

The results of a recent poll displayed a waning interest in politics among college students, who apparently are willing to volunteer their time in promoting public services but do not wish to become involved in government. HELEN KIM spoke with college students about the reasons for their alienation from the political realm.

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LARISSA COHEN

18, UCLA

I’m involved in a club called UCLA Circle K International. It is the college organization for Key Club. I have tutored kids in Inglewood and at church. I also helped out at a charity carnival. I’m also going to visit a nursing home soon. I wouldn’t consider volunteering in a political campaign because I’m completely disillusioned by politics.

When you volunteer and help children, you feel like you are accomplishing something and helping the future. In politics, I don’t know that I can trust what I hear. I want to see results. With campaigning, you hear a lot of speeches that don’t really tell you anything and politicians insult each other. You don’t know who is right. You don’t know what the truth is.

With politics, you have to be really involved and keep up on current events and study the candidates to know whom to help. But with other volunteering activities, you are in a very clear situation. You know that a child needs help with tutoring after school. Very few people are going to argue that you shouldn’t tutor or mentor a child after school because you are doing them harm.

In politics, how do you know if you are helping the right politician win?

I was watching a congressional event on television and I saw one of the politicians talking and then he turned to the camera and did this smile that was so fake it was just unbelievable. You know they spend time with advisors telling them how to act and how to make the public trust them. To me, it just comes off as really fake. In ninth grade, I was required to volunteer. For me, it was a good experience because it introduced me to it.

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RAMESH SWAMY

26, MBA student at Pepperdine University

Iwouldn’t consider volunteering in a political campaign because I don’t have an interest in politics and I don’t really like politicians. Politics doesn’t really have much of an effect on my life. I’ve worked for the government and I think there is a lot of wasted time and energy in politics. There is a lot of bureaucracy and red tape, which makes it difficult to get things done.

Volunteering is one thing and participating in a political activity is another. Requiring volunteer work in college is a terrific idea. In fact, it is required at Pepperdine for a particular project that I have worked on. Volunteering makes students more aware of what’s happening.

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EARL WILLIAMS

18, Pierce College

In my neighborhood in Carson, I volunteer in sports activities--football and basketball. I wouldn’t really consider volunteering in a political campaign because there is too much confusion. My friends and I really don’t talk too much about politics unless something really big is happening. By volunteering my services to young children and doing the right thing by going to school and staying out of trouble, I’m making more of a difference than if I worked for a politician.

I respect politicians for what they have accomplished, but sometimes I can’t respect what they stand for.