WVU Students & Politics

A blog by Cassidy Smith

[wvupolitics-blog]

WVU Young Democrats and WVU Young Republicans encourage students to join next year

Although this school year is coming to a close, clubs on campus are already looking forward to next year.

With such a great turnout this year, both WVU Young Democrats and WVU Young Republicans want to continue the trend.

Meetings will take place early in the Fall semester, and both clubs make it super easy to join. They will review meeting schedules, general information about the club and answer any questions you may have.

If you’re interested in politics, from either side of the spectrum, these clubs could be perfect for you!

[wvupolitics-blog]

Former First Lady Barbara Bush dies

Former First Lady of the United States, Barbara Bush, died on April 17, 2018 in Houston.

During her time as First Lady she distanced herself from politics, instead focusing on bettering our country. She was involved with literacy organizations, served on literacy committees and chaired many reading organizations. Eventually, she founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, which supported programs where low-income parents and children were able to learn to read together. As of 2014, the foundation ran more than 1,000 literacy programs across the United States.

No matter your opinion on her family’s politics, Barbara Bush did so much good for our country. Her program has helped thousands of families across the United States, and this trend will continue long after her death.  

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Court rules that ‘Dreamers’ in Arizona are no longer eligible for in-state tuition

Arizona’s Supreme Court unanimously decided last Monday that young immigrants protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in Arizona will no longer be eligible for in-state tuition rates at any of their public colleges. The Republic reports that this decision could affect up to 2,000 DACA recipients in the state.

This decision means that tuition costs could triple for DACA recipients. Arizona State University costs $9,834 for in-state residents, and $27,618 for out of state residents, according to the Arizona Republic. For many, college simply isn’t an option without these cheaper in-state rates.

Under the Trump administration, these Obama-era programs have received aversion by government and the public. The Trump administration had planned to phase out the program, starting with reminding work permits for thousands of DACA recipients. While this was supposed to start on March 5th, federal judges in New York and California issued rulings that blocked these plans. 

To me, this decision seems pointless and cruel. The children that DACA protects were brought into our country illegally by their parents, and most likely had no choice. No matter your stance on illegal immigration, you can’t blame the children for their parents’ choices. Most of them have lived here their whole lives, just like me, so they should be given the same right to education that I have as an American citizen. 

[wvupolitics-blog]

The Trump Administration

Similar to the rest of the country, the Trump Administration has received mixed messages from WVU students.

Many organizations on campus have expressed problems they have with the current administration, and have taken to the streets to show it. The WVU Young Democrats club organized a “Stand Up to Trump” rally in front of the Mountainlair in September, and continue to show their aversion to the actions the administration is taking in public, as well as online. On November 10th 2016, the day Trump was elected, they tweeted out what would be a vague tweet without context. But given the significance of that date, the tweet further shows their disdain for Trump’s administration. 

“No matter who runs the country, we still have a voice.  As a party we will still fight for what is right.  We are still in this together.” @WVUYoungDemocrats

On the other hand, many organizations have also shown their support for Trump. A club named WVU Students for Trump was created following his election, pretty much the most outright display of support possible. The WVU Republicans club not only attends events in support of Trump and the republican party, but their tweets endorse our president as well. One of their tweets even tags the president himself, and praises him for his work.

“President @realDonaldTrump has delivered a game-changer for West Virginia with the China Energy deal. On the campaign, he pledged to fight for the people of West Virginia. Promise made, promise kept.” @WVURepublicans 

No matter the organization’s stance on the Trump administration, he's surely a hot topic all around campus. I expect this trend will continue for the rest of his term.