February 2004

James Ehrmann • A Passion for Politics

How often do you get to shake hands with the second-most-powerful man in the nation? That actually happened to me last fall. It was a busy week for me—a biology exam Tuesday and a French presentation Wednesday morning, not to mention a rhetoric group project on cable television that required a good deal of my time—but I’m glad I managed to attend a Republican Party event in Cedar Rapids, where I got to meet Vice President Dick Cheney.

It sometimes feels as if my political ideology (I’m a member of the College Republicans and Students for George W. Bush) puts me out of step with a lot of people on the UI campus. In one of my first rhetoric classes, we had to give an “I have a dream” speech in memory of Martin Luther King, and I found that my political views directly clashed with those of my teacher. She’s very civil, though, and, judging by the As I’ve gotten, her beliefs haven’t influenced how she grades my essays and speeches.

Politics are a big part of my life. I remember jumping around in excitement when I found out that I’d been selected one of ten freshmen senators to serve on the UI Student Government (UISG). The other 20 kids in the IT Center were a little confused as to why I was shouting so happily, but those students are now my constituents! Student government is the perfect platform for me to get more people registered to vote. It’s a shame that few students are involved in the political process, and I’m personally going to try to change that by registering as many kids as I can.

Tonight, I went to the UISG winter reception at the IMU. Turnout was somewhat lame, but I hung out with the three other freshmen senators and abused the free food. I got to meet President Skorton, and he made very sure that I was prepared for my finals on Wednesday. He seemed a little down, though. Maybe it was because the meatballs weren’t too tasty—or perhaps the pending budget cuts had something to do with it.

Even though classes and my political extracurricular activities keep me busy, I manage to find time to have fun, whether it’s hanging out with the guys in my fraternity (I’m pledged to the Sigma Nu fraternity) or my floor buddies at Hillcrest, going on a hayrack date party, eating pizza at the Airliner, showing my mom, dad, and brother around campus during Family Weekend, trick-or-treating dressed as Austin Powers, or watching the Hawkeye football team keep winning!

If the last semester is anything to go by, I definitely made the right choice by coming to the University of Iowa. When I go home to visit (what the heck, I’ve got laundry that needs to be done—plus, of course, I miss my family), it’s like stepping into a past life. That’s when I realize how much I’m changing and starting a new chapter in my life. One weekend I was home, I actually spent Saturday night doing French homework!

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