It is an unspoken rule that free pizza must make an appearance at new student group meetings — though the Nice Slice versus Antonio's debate remains an unresolved controversy. Last week's opening meeting for Brown Students for Obama proved the group was no exception to the rule, though few members needed the incentive of free food to attend. The new group, which drew about 40 people to its Wednesday night meeting in Wilson 102, is kicking off what is proving to be a contentious election year for both the president and his eventual Republican opponent.
"It's a really close race," said Taylor Daily '13, president of Students for Obama and vice president of the Brown Democrats. The group, which plans to rally support for Barack Obama's campaign throughout the year, intends to reach out to the community by talking to peers on campus and canvassing both in Rhode Island and in neighboring states. Because Rhode Island is a traditionally blue state, Daily proposed canvassing throughout the year in New Hampshire to reach potential voters. "We can actually make a difference there," he said.
Daily said winning New Hampshire is critical to ensuring Obama's re-election. By Election Day, the group currently hopes to reach 14,000 voters in New Hampshire, which represents 2 percent of the state's projected number of voters.
"It's a pretty big goal, but I think we can do it together," Daily said.
The upcoming election makes Students for Obama unique among this semester's new student groups. As an election advocacy organization supporting a specific candidate, its existence as a University-recognized group is limited to the period of time in which the election is ongoing.
"Any person can try to start a group with the intent of helping a particular campaign. We just mandate that they put a sunset clause in their constitution so they have to disband after the elections," said Mae Cadao '13, student activities chair for the Undergraduate Council of Students.
Daily said the group will disband two weeks after the election.
UCS has previously approved campaign-centered student groups such as Brown Students for Chafee, which lent support to the politician's successful bid for governor of Rhode Island in 2010. UCS also approved Students for Barack Obama in 2008, which supported the president in his first campaign and was disbanded after that election.
"We don't want there to be no outlet or no space for these particular groups," said Anthony White '13, political and social action representative for the UCS Student Activities Committee, "so we'll approve groups that we know will serve a large interest."
The group is already drawing students from other student-run political groups.
"There's definitely some collaboration" between the Brown Democrats and Students for Obama, said Melanie Fineman '14, who sits on the executive board for the Brown Democrats. But Fineman's group is more focused on specific issues in Rhode Island politics, she said, adding that, "Students for Obama is a great outlet for people who are more interested in the national issues."
The group also provides a forum for Obama supporters who might not identify as Democrats. UCS supports groups that surround candidates instead of political parties because they have the potential to bring different groups of students together, Cadao said.
Students first approached UCS with the idea for an Obama-centered group on campus last semester.
Daily said he thought the existing political groups on campus were "too centralized" to focus on advocating for the campaign. Students for Obama is "the place you can come to do advocacy for the 2012 election," Daily said.
Daily and two other students collected signatures to prove public interest in the group and applied for recognition last semester. Students for Obama was approved as a Category I group, which means the University does not provide any funding. The activities of the group, which include canvassing and phone banking, will not require funds, Daily said, though he added that the Rhode Island Obama for America campaign has offered its support — so far in the form of the first meeting's pizza.
Obama for America campaigners "really know how to be most effective," Daily said. "It's just really nice to have professional people who are willing to give us support."
The group is also taking a page from the national campaign's playbook, relying on Facebook and Twitter to get the word out.
"If we can just say, ‘Hey, there's this cool thing that's coming up next week, come canvass with us for half a day,' someone could be like, ‘Oh, that actually sounds great,'" Daily said. "It's just another way to connect with people that is not traditional and works pretty well."
Daily said he hopes that around 200 people will attend the Students for Obama meetings by next semester.
"It's still a bit early for the campaign, so we're not expecting massive crowds yet," Daily said. "Our real goal is to get people to turn out when we are actually going out and doing work for the president." He added, "We want to make sure that people who do support the president do contribute in some way to the re-election."
— With additional reporting by Margaret Nickens
