Not surprisingly, this year's neck-in-neck presidential race incited political fervor on campus, but some members of the Tufts community went beyond just watching the election by running for seats themselves.
Tufts Democrats mobilized their support for not only John Kerry, but also for Tufts alumnus Carl Sciortino (LA '00), who was elected as a Massachusetts state representative for the 34th Middlesex District.
The race for the representative seat was especially vitriolic this year, since the conservative Parents Rights Coalition (PRC) sent out a number of mailings calling Sciortino an "anti-Catholic extremist" and "militant homosexual activist."
"We stayed positive, we stayed focused every step of the way," Sciortino said to the crowd gathered for his victory speech at Orleans restaurant in Davis Square. "We ran a respectful campaign."
A current Tufts student, sophomore Scott Merrick, launched his political career by being elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives at age 19.
"It's all about being active in your community. Anyone can do it. I knew if I worked hard enough I could get elected," Merrick said.
Merrick will be taking next semester off to get acquainted with his new position, but says he does not plan to run for reelection in 2006. "I wanted to run and help my town in the present, but my education is important as well," he said.
Other members of the Tufts community kept political dialogue at center stage by hosting politically-themed events. Tufts Republicans, Tufts Democrats, and the Socialist Alternative led an election night debate that filled Cabot auditorium.
Tufts Votes led a registration drive, though the effort was marred when organizers sent in several students' registration forms past the deadline.
Even parties took on a political theme -- Tufts Democrats held a "Kegs for Kerry" party that attracted hundreds of revelers and raised over $1000 for the Kerry campaign.
