Political Activism at The College of Wooster Makes News Halfway Around the World

Article in online version of Austria's Der Standard published March 4

Carl Pick

WOOSTER, Ohio - The political fervor of students at The College of Wooster is making news halfway around the world after a story about their activism appeared in the online version of Der Standard, Austria's third largest daily newspaper, on Monday (March 4). The article was written by Carl Pick, a Fulbright scholar and a teaching assistant in Wooster's Department of German.

"I know several people at (Der Standard), and they asked me to write about the involvement of college students in the Ohio Democratic primaries," said Pick, a political science major as an undergraduate. "It was interesting to see how passionate Wooster students are about the political process. The perception, both in Europe and, I think, the United States, is that college students are generally passive, but they have really become passionate about this election."

In the article, Pick describes a flurry of activity on a recent Saturday morning as one group of students hits the streets of Wooster to drum up support for Barack Obama while another heads out to encourage votes for Hillary Clinton. He follows students as they go door-to-door in this largely conservative community, and explains what happens, for example, when they come face-to-face with a member of the other party.

Pick also shares the insights of two international students - Lena Mityushina of Russia and Aneeb Sharif of Pakistan - as to why they have become involved in the political process. Sharif explains that the next U.S. President will not only affect this country but also the entire world, including his native Pakistan. "Bush was a catastrophe," says Sharif. "That's why I'm for Hilary Clinton." Pick learns more about Clinton supporters when he attends a "Hilary 101" meeting of students backing the former First Lady, who they say has much more foreign policy experience and a better plan for healthcare.

Race and gender are undeniably key elements of the current Democratic race, but Pick says that most students get past those factors and onto the issues, most notably the war in Iraq and universal healthcare.

n addition to his focus on student activism, Pick explores the role of new media, and its impact on the election. "The attention to new media in Austria is not nearly as prevalent as it is in the United States," said Pick. "The social networking sites are mobilizing young people like never before."

Pick, who plans to return to Austria and complete his master's degree before seeking a position as a high school teacher, was excited about the opportunity to observe the political process and to write about it. "Everyone is talking about it," he said. "It was my first feature article, and it was a very interesting experience."

Pick is the live-in director of Wooster's German Suite, a residential program for students interested in speaking the language together and discussing German, Austrian, and Swiss affairs. "Carl, or 'Yussi,' as we call him, plans many of our activities and acts as a liaison between the department and students in our department," said Mareike Hermann, associate professor of German at Wooster. "His interest in people and international affairs, and his active engagement in politics have made him a wonderful addition to the campus community."