HISTORY: Reorganizing in the Fall of 2008 after a period of dormancy and led by then-President John Henkelman and Faculty Advisor Dr. John Calhoun, the club quickly gained loyal supporters in Josh Fink, Phyllis Klarmann, Lindsay Lowe, Ricky Marc and Josh Miller. Once our core group of members had been established, we were able to take off. Throughout the exciting 2008 electoral season spearheaded
by the Presidential campaign of Barack Obama, we volunteered our time with the Obama Campaign and visited countless homes both on and off campus to spread the word about the importance of an Obama Presidency. During this time period, we attended several rallies including a Town Hall meeting with then-candidate Senator Joe Biden in West Palm Beach, the Rally for Change in Sunrise, and former Vice President Al Gore's speech on getting out the vote. On campus, we managed to collaborate with the College Republicans (in an example of bi-partisanship rarely seen today in Congress) in hosting several Debate Watch Parties for both the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. Other activities included "Walk The Vote," where we literally walked to our voting precincts on Election Day, followed by an Election Night Party where we teamed with the College Republicans and watched Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States. While some of us actually went up to Our Nation's Capital to witness the events firsthand, the rest of us stayed behind and hosted yet another Watch Party that was well received by the students on campus. A successful collaboration with Sodexo (the company responsible for food on campus at the time) and other departments enabled us to host an Inaugural Dinner that very night. From then on, we have worked to increase voter participation (and registration) on campus, as well as keep the public informed on the Democratic Party's ideals. In this day and age, we pride ourselves on not allowing the Conservative Republican majority on this campus to blot us out completely, and we are happy to know that we have maintained an active role on campus despite our surroundings. Regardless of what they may say about us, we will continue to shine a beacon of light to all Democrats, Moderates, and Independents on PBAU's campus to let them know that they are not alone and shouldn't be afraid to express their political beliefs. We will also continue to encourage an intelligent, respectful and civil dialogue with our Republican counterparts here on campus, so that the future may one day see a Congress based on the tenets of TRUE bi-partisanship and not the gridlock and political posturing we see today. After all, we live in a nation where peaceful self-expression is a guaranteed right of ours. Though our history is short by most standards, the best is yet to come. We look forward to what the future may bring, and it is our hope that our light continues to shine in a slowly-darkening world of political apathy.
