By Callie Taggart

Her eyes dance as she talks of her ultimate dream of being a Supreme Court Justice.

Or maybe the PTA president.

Any way you look at it, Ericka Ensign, 24, craves politics.

"I'm involved with politics because I find law fascinating," Ensign said. She says she tries to keep up with politics in general as much as she can in herfree time.

Ensign is not your typical Aggie.

Ensign spends about 15 hours a week in class as a full-time USU student. Her duties as academic vice president for ASUSU typically take out another 15-30 hour chunk of her time. She also works 15 hours between her two jobs on campus. All this, and still, on Friday mornings she volunteers at an elementary school. She is the chairperson of five committees, but still attends meetings for at least 20 more, including Student Academic Council and the Faculty Senate.

"You do it because you want to make this school better and this position better. And you do it because you want to make yourself better," Ensign said.

She walks quickly upstairs to her ASUSU office, Room 344, in the Taggart Student Center. As she opens the door, someone compliments her on her long-sleeved polyester shirt -- sunset pink with funky white swirls. She says thanks with a smile and walks into her tidy office. She sets down her black messenger bag on her desk, along with some large binders containing student government laws from the 1970s that ASUSU is revising. She efficiently begins eating her lunch before she even sits down to be interviewed, which today is carrots, an apple and something wrapped up in aluminum foil.

Ensign is majoring in political science and international business. Despite her busy schedule, she says she enjoys this time allotted to her to participate in what she loves best -- student government.

During the week before Spring Break, Utah State students had the opportunity to vote for their student leaders for next year. ASUSU elections involve voting at its simplest form -- students can do it online, at their leisure.

But in 2002, only 10 percent of the student body bothered to vote. Camey Hatch, public relations vice president, says 2,501 students voted in ASUSU's primary elections, only 7 percent of the total students. Vote totals in the runoffs announced Thursday were only a little better. Duke Di Stefano beat Jonathan Hemingway for ASUSU president, 2,299 to 1,157. In all, only 3,456 students voted.

According to a survey administered last week to 30 chosen, single USU college students in housing, seven out of 10 people said that keeping up with politics was either only somewhat important, or not important to them at all.

When USU students were asked why they failed to vote in the 2000 U.S. presidential election, most said something like "because I was too lazy" or "I didn't know enough about either candidate" or even admitted, "I'm a slacker!" According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a mere 29 percent of people ages 18 to 20 voted in the 2000 Presidential Election.

It appears USU students are just about as interested in politics as other college students are nationally. According to the UCLA Higher Education Research, 26 percent of college students say keeping up to date with political affairs is a very important life goal.

"I don't like politics that much and I don't trust politics," said 22-year-old Sarah McWilliams, a junior majoring in family finance.

"Honestly, what's in it for me?" she said.

Dr. Peter Galderisi, associate professor of political science at USU, says there are several reasons for such political disengagement among college students today.

He said young people usually don't get involved in politics until they are older, when they feel it will affect them more.

As one female USU student said in the mentioned survey, "I have more pressing things on my mind that interest me more than a bunch of dishonest men. When I do try to catch up on what's going on I'm lost, so I just give up."

Galderisi is shocked at such apathy during what he considers to be a crucial time in American politics. Very few students even cared to listen to the recent State of the Union address, he speculated.

"If I were a young man, I'd want to know much more about what the hell President Bush is going to do at this point," he said.

"It just boggles my mind. These boys have a much higher chance of getting drafted in this war than I do," Galderisi said.

The second reason Galderisi noted for political disengagement has to do with a generational gap. He believes the grandparents of most college students were and are much more engaged because there was more of a sense of unity and community when they grew up. In fact, Galderisi believes today we're seeing less engagement in all sorts of activities, and less and less human interaction. The reason for this?

"Your entire world is TV," he said.

"When older people were growing up, they were doing other things. Today, TV is 80 percent of the way young people think. You're much more interested in the scandal and negativity the media [constantly supplies]." Galderisi said.

The third reason he cited for political apathy among college students is because students don't care, politicians don't pay attention to them, because they would much rather focus on the people who will get to the polls and allow them to keep their offices.

And even if they did care, Ensign said, "Students just don't have the time. And they don't realize how much [politics] does affect them."

She mentioned HB331, the bill raising residency requirements from 30 to 60 credit hours for college students, as an example of how closely legislation really does affect those obtaining higher education.

"What [this society] needs are more practicing participants in politics," Galderisi said.

Ensign said, "It's civic awareness. It's saying, 'what can I do?'"

And to begin, there is much USU students can do on the college level to be involved with politics and other civic causes. Students could consider joining College Republicans or College Democrats, Pi Sigma Alpha, the Sierra Club or even the Students of the Second Amendment.

23-year-old Gabriel White, chairman of the College Republicans, enjoys serving in the organization and encouraging activism among his fellow conservative students.

"It's something in which I can help other people and promote the values I strongly believe in," he said.

White feels his experiences in the organization have been a tremendous part of his overall education at USU.

Ensign agrees with the importance of political engagement.

"Politics is definitely a realm of the educated," she said.

Most USU students aren't a part of this realm.

Ericka Ensign has finished her lunch and closes the massive binder, finished reviewing old ASUSU legislation for the day, and is off to another political science class or committee meeting.

As she walks across the snow-frosted campus of Utah State, she wonders where she'll be in five years. Not surprisingly, it has to do with school politics.

"I guess when it comes down to it, I just want to be a cool stay-at-home mom with a familyÖand who knows, maybe be the PTA president," Ensign laughs.

MS
TJ

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