The College Democrats of Massachusetts (CDM) kicked off their statewide convention at Smith on Saturday, April 10. The event featured speeches and breakout sessions with local Democrats on Saturday and culminated in a question and answer session with Governor Deval L. Patrick on Sunday.

The convention at Smith drew about 125 students from over 20 Massachusetts colleges and universities to Northampton over the weekend. According to Mount Holyoke College Democrats (MHC Dems) President Brigid Hurn Maloney ’10, the chapter sent a delegation of nine students to attend the convention.

“It’s always really nice to have a convention on the western side of Massachusetts because a lot of events have been in Boston,” said Maloney, who served as the Western Regional Director for CDM last year. “It’s a way to shine some light on the western Massachusetts schools.”

Several members of the Mount Holyoke chapter have held leadership positions in the nationwide organization. Maloney added that she expects the MHC Dems to campaign for some of the politicians they met at the convention in the upcoming election year, as they did for President Barack Obama in 2008 and Mayor Elaine Pluta FP’96 last fall.

“We’re probably going to 100 percent camapign for Deval Patrick,” she said.

On Saturday, students heard speeches by State Sen. Ben Downing, State Sen. Stan Rosenberg, State Rep. Ellen Story, political writer Conor Yunits, candidate for Treasurer and Receiver-General Steve Grossman and writer/commentator John Walsh. Later, students participated in breakout sessions on grassroots organizing, local politics, campaign strategy and new media.

“The first one was called New Media and the New Campaign—how to write the proper e-mail using Facebook and Twitter, create Web sites to really get people on board with your campaigning,” said Ali Fitch ’13, who attended as part of MHC Dems. “Another [session] focused on democratic ideals and how to really make the ‘soft ask’ questions and the ‘hard ask’ questions.”

Since Saturday, Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray have been making appearances across the state as part of their re-election campaign. On Saturday Night, Patrick’s daughter Katherine, a senior at Smith, hosted a fundraiser for him at the Hotel Northampton.

The fundraiser started that evening at 7:30 p.m. “We basically just networked with other College Dems as well as people who work on campaigns, all the way up to state senators and state representatives, and when the governor showed up, we all rushed to him,” said Fitch.

On Sunday morning, about 50 students met in the Smith College Campus Center, where Patrick answered their questions about state politics and his re-election campaign.

When asked why he was a Democrat, Patrick said he joined the party because of his belief in “generational responsibility.”

“I really believe in the cycle of generational responsibility,” he said. “The idea that our job, while we’re here, is to try to make things better.”

The Smith College Democrats have been working to help collect signatures for Patrick and Murray before the filing deadline, and the next executive board has started planning campaigns for the summer and fall, according to Smith Dems Co-President Claire Stein-Ross, a senior.

“I hope [students] leave inspired,” said Co-President Sarah Mueller, a senior. “Part of it is really reminding people—college students especially—why they’re involved.”

“And why they’re Democrats,” added Stein-Ross.

Mueller agreed. “And to give them tangible things, goals, as we move into the next gubernatorial race.”

Among the students were representatives from colleges seeking to start chapters, such as Hampshire College in Amherst and Anna Maria College in Paxton.

“He was definitely talking about why we should be Democrats. It has to do with a lot of moral issues,” said sophomore Elaine Bell, of Anna Maria College. “When I think of politics bringing up morality, I think of conservatism. They really like their morals. But [Patrick] does it in a way that’s not as imposing.”
Her friend, sophomore Alicia Graham, agreed. “It just reassured me why I’m a Democrat.”

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