Saint Mary's College Republicans are getting excited for the historic vote on Nov. 4, said Erin Horvath, the president of the Saint Mary's College Republicans, with involvement in the club up significantly since last year.
"This year, the group has nearly 70 members and 30 attend meetings regularly. Last year, honestly, we had between 2-5 girls at meetings ... it was pretty sad," she said.
The increase in the number of girls who attend meetings makes for good discussion, Horvath said.
Club member Kara Rusnak said she is happy with the way meetings have been going so far.
"I enjoy the meetings because a lot of different perspectives are expressed," Rusnak said.
Due to this year's presidential campaign, interest and participation have increased, allowing the group to plan more events involving campus Republicans, Horvath said.
"[The club] organized events to watch the Republican National Convention as well as the debates," she said. "We have also had the opportunity to go see a McCain/Palin rally in Detroit."
The College Republicans have also taken an active interest, running phone banks that are helping to elect Luke Puckett to Congress as a representative for Indiana's 2nd District and re-elect incumbent Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Horvath said.
The College Republicans can be seen around Saint Mary's campus sporting the club's red "VOTE" T-shirts with the GOP Elephant on the front. Members of the club are encouraged to wear their T-shirts each Tuesday leading up to the election, Horvath said.
"I like the [shirts] because [they] promote voting in general; whether you are a Republican or Democrat doesn't matter," Rusnak said. "People are just trying to get involved and do their part and that's important."
Caitlin Sullivan, the vice president of the Saint Mary's College Republicans, said she is excited about engaging fellow students, and said the club is organizing a fundraiser to send care packages to troops.
After the election on Nov. 4, Saint Mary's College Republicans' efforts in creating party awareness will continue, Horvath said. Members can look forward to a trip to Washington D.C. to attend the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) in February, Horvath said.
"The CPAC event brings together young conservatives from across the nation and features prominent conservative speakers; it will be our exciting event for the year, which has been far more organized than [years past]," she said.
