By Matthew Allen, news correspondent
Two Northeastern University College Democrat (NUCD) members were elected to positions in the College Democrats of Massachusetts (CDM) by students from across the state during CDM’s Spring Convention at Tufts University on April 9.
NUCD member Sridevi Dayanandan, a third-year biology and political science combined major, was elected as the statewide group’s communications director. Former NUCD parliamentarian and current member Adam Kamoune, a sophomore political science major, was elected as the group’s political director.
CDM President Santiago Nariño, a senior international affairs and economics double major at Northeastern, said he is excited to see what both recently elected CDM candidates will bring to the board.
“Both of them have a drive for politics that is apparent, and I am incredibly excited for the work that they will be doing in the new executive e-board,” Nariño said. “Adam knows local politics extremely well, and Sridevi knows that in order to succeed, we need to communicate and inspire.”
Northeastern students have held many positions on the CDM executive board. Last year, Northeastern students filled three of the organization’s seven executive roles.
Both recently elected Northeastern CDM members ran on platforms of making news about local, state and federal politics more accessible to all of the Massachusetts chapters of College Democrats.
Dayanandan has been an active member in NUCD for the past year and recently took part in a health care debate against the Northeastern University College Republicans in late March.
As the communications director, Dayanandan is responsible for overseeing CDM’s communications among each chapter or caucus and is expected to maintain CDM’s website and social media outlets. She said she hopes to implement a newsletter to allow members of college political groups to be informed on upcoming political events. This, she said, would make it easier for them to lobby for legislation.
“These newsletters would also contain information about local, state and federal politics, and should leave the readers feeling informed,” Dayanandan said. “The newsletters will be geared toward specific regions, as well as specific caucuses.”
Dayanandan said that the newsletter’s central focus on informing university Democrats about the inter-workings of all levels of government is key.
“The newsletters focusing on state and federal politics is so crucial at this time,” Dayanandan said. “We are in a period where the people controlling these levels of governments don’t have our best interests in mind.”
As the political director, Kamoune is responsible for determining the legislative agenda for the CDM. This includes working with all the different chapters and caucuses to identify policies that the group wants to lobby behind.
Kamoune said he is trying to collaborate with State Democratic Party Chair Gus Bickford to find a way for politically aware students to develop an understanding of elections at all levels.
“The database will consist of a spreadsheet that contains every race taking place in the Commonwealth, along with the College Democrats branch closest to it,” Kamoune said.
Kamoune and Dayanandan ran in the hopes of eliminating political indifference, which made up 8 percent of voters aged 18-29 in the 2016 presidential election, according to a USA Today report. Kamoune said American voters’ indifference toward both candidates in the 2016 presidential election was largely responsible for President Donald J. Trump’s victory, which he said is inspiring college students to become more politically engaged.
“After the election of Trump, I feel that students are very eager to go out and make a difference,” Kamoune said.
Dayanandan said she believes political indifference is impractical.
“In politics, there is no such thing as being indifferent,” Dayanandan said. “Being indifferent means you automatically are taking the side of the oppressor, in my opinion.”
Kamoune said he admires Northeastern students for their level of political knowledge, but he encourages students to take their involvement a step further. He said he worries that some people overestimate how difficult it is to make a difference through the American political process.
“Northeastern students are incredibly politically aware, but I do wish Northeastern students would become more politically involved,” Kamoune said. “Honestly, there are no tricks to politics. The political system is determined by the people who show up.”
For college students interested in becoming a member of CDM, the only requirement is that they are members of their university’s College Democrats chapter. Dayanandan said that any student interested in running for a CDM position is capable of getting it with passion and hard work.
“If you are a College Democrat seeking a CDM position, then just make connections, take risks and be passionate about what you’re doing,” Dayanandan said.
