Opinion Board | Apathetic? Think again

Penn students are famous for their supposed political apathy.

But, last night, nearly 1,000 students made their way to Zellerbach Theatre to hear Republican senator and presidential candidate John McCain speak and answer questions. Throughout the event, a crowd waited eagerly outside the doors, hoping some students would leave so they could hear some "straight talk." Clearly, the event, sponsored by the College Republicans, was a huge success.

It makes us wonder . are Penn students really that apathetic, or are we simply not given enough opportunities to show we care?

The list of high-profile politicians that have visited campus in recent years is a short one: Arlen Specter, Rick Santorum, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Howard Dean, Pat Buchanan and now John McCain.

Some of these speakers (Dean, Buchanan and Specter) were brought either directly (or indirectly through funding) by the University. But without the Penn Democrats and the College Republicans, some other events - such as last night's - would never have taken place.

In a misguided effort to remain non-partisan, SAC doesn't fund political groups on campus, leaving these groups to their own resources when it comes to recruiting the kind of big-name movers and shakers that Penn students want to see. While SAC should be careful to allocate resources equitably, the entire Penn community would benefit if political groups were given University funding.

The University (rightly) doesn't directly bring in and fund politicians, but it could at least facilitate these events by working with the Penn Democrats and College Republicans to find appropriate venues. Penn should also consider waiving the prohibitive rental fees associated with the large auditoriums on campus, so that speakers don't have to be relegated to the Terrace Room in Logan Hall (like Pelosi was).

If these suggestions are taken to heart, maybe McCain won't have to be the last candidate we see on campus before the 2008 election.

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