By
Ayse Guner
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Young Greens, a grass roots group, educates students on the party's
Young Greens, a new political organization formed on the UA campus last week is hoping to attract more "Green" voters in time for this year's election.
The group is comprised of students who believe in the Green Party philosophy, said Susan Shobe, co-founder of University of Arizona Young Greens. Shobe is also an environmental sciences junior.
The Green Party of Pima County set up a table on the UA Mall this week to register students to vote. Not only are party members encouraging students to join the Green Party, but they are also teaching students the key values of the "Green" philosophy.
"A lot of people think this is an environmental party but it is not," said Hannah Pierce-Carlson, a physics astronomy sophomore who volunteers for the Green Party.
The student run Green Party organization, with about 40 members, will be on the Mall until Nov. 6 - the last day to register to vote.
"We're actually a club now," said Andria Francis, a wildlife junior and Green Party volunteer. "We're trying to let people in on issues. We don't want to convert anybody to the Green Party, but just let them know what their rights are and get them on the debates,"
The Green Party have 10 key values in their political philosophy.
Some of these values include environmentalism, grass roots democracy, nonviolence, social justice and feminism.
"We are just here to legitimize the alternative to the two big parties and to let students know if they are concerned about health care, corporate welfare, environmental issues, pro-labor or campaign reform (that the Green Party is for them)," said Julia Metzker, a chemistry graduate student, who was volunteering at the Green Party table.
Carl Case, a political science sophomore, said he wants to volunteer for the Green Party table and plans to vote for Green Party candidates.
"I believe that there is a major problem with the two political parties dominating politics today," he said. "All they do is go in middle and pander to the media and corporations."
Case said he is concerned about the influence money has on the outcome of elections in America.
"I want to take power from people who have money and make it so one person truly has one vote," Case added.
The student group organizes meetings, sets up tables and brings local candidates to campus.
They are also petitioning for the Green Party's presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who will be on ballot in 44 states, to be included in the televised presidential debates with GOP candidate George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore.
The rules for this year's televised presidential debates requires candidates to garner 15 percent support in popular opinion polls. Ralph Nader has ranked between 5 and 8 percent.
"A lot of people arguing about politics in general is pointless," Metzker said. "But a third party candidate should be on the debate regardless of the 15 percent approval rating."
Shobe said students do play a role in the election results.
"We as students have the power to make great changes happen. It is all a matter of how willing we are to devote time to the things we truly believe in," she said.
