Contact CU Independent Breaking News Editor Maggie Wagner at magdalen.wagner@colorado.edu
College Democrats at CU-Boulder, a student organization at the University of Colorado, gathered in front of Norlin Library on Monday to bring attention to the ideological gaps between the Republican party and the college-aged generation. The group also touched briefly on its disappointment regarding the limited student ticket availability for Wednesday’s GOP debate.
“GOP candidates have taken stances out of step with our generation,” said Javier Mabrey, the president of College Democrats at CU.
Student debt, women’s rights, an inability to see clearly on gun reform and ignorance of climate change are top among the concerns the organization cited, but certainly don’t cover all the bases.
Mark Larsen, a board member in the organization, urged policymakers to fully embrace the potential this century holds in regards to technology, cooperation and communication. Larsen believes that leaders who are excited and positive about the nation’s future are the best tool for maximizing this century’s potential.
“That’s not the attitude I’m getting from the GOP, especially regarding climate change,” said Larsen.
Emily Sheridan, the group’s vice president, emphasized the importance of women’s rights, which she sees as a necessary component of society that the GOP is disregarding.
“I am appalled at the misogyny rampant in this GOP election,” Sheridan said.
Sheridan’s most emphasized point of contention revolved around congressional Republicans’ push to defund Planned Parenthood, as she believes such a policy would have long-term negative implications for the protection of women.
Edie Hooton, currently running for Colorado State House in District 10, was also at the conference. Some of the College Democrats had interned for Hooton in the past, and they recruited her to be a part of their efforts. At the event, Hooton focused on the GOP debate and what it means for Boulder.
“When it was first announced that the debate was going to be held here, it seemed a little ironic,” Hooton said. “Then to find out that only 100 seats out of 11,000 were going to be made available, that was shocking.”
Hooton said the way in which the events surrounding the debate played out was an insult to the progressive attitude Boulder is built on. But she commends the group, and the rest of the CU students, for finding the good in the bad. Various rallies, including one on gun safety and one on immigration rights, will take place on campus on the day of the debate, along with a variety of other student-driven initiatives.
“They’ve taken lemons and made lemonade out of this,” Hooton said.
