Are you looking to involve yourself more at your college? Do you enjoy the atmosphere of school clubs? Are you a political nerd or are interested in learning more about politics? Are you ready to make some of the bestest friends of your life? If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then College Democrats is the place for you! College Democrats (CDA) is the collegiate version of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Representing over 100,000 student members nationwide at over 600 campuses across 43 states, the CDA focuses on electing Democratic candidates, advocating for progressive policies—such as tackling climate change and reducing student debt—and training the next generation of political leaders. Additionally, members engage in campaigning, endorse local candidates, help fellow college students register to vote, hold weekly chapter meetings with political speakers, attend protests like No Kings, and host fun social activities to give members a chance to get to know each other better. It is truly a wonderful experience, and it is my favorite extracurricular at NC State. I’ll start off this article by giving some of my personal testimony and then tell you how to join the local chapter at your college (or if you attend NC State, how to join the chapter here).
How i became involved
Towards the end of my senior year of high school, I learned about College Democrats through a friend of mine who attended NC State. She would always post about their meetings and she even posted a picture of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which she got to attend thanks to the club. I was super impressed and knew I wanted to become involved once I got to NC State. Unfortunately, she transferred to UNC Chapel Hill over the summer and no longer attends NC State. Despite that, once I reached campus, on the very first day, I received an email from my weekly college newsletter and saw an advertisement for their first chapter meeting of the year. I walked into the room and was immediately greeted by people who were very happy to see me there. From the first day, I made friends that I am still friends with to this day. Let’s talk about some of the events I’ve involved myself in since my arrival.
Events
From protests to campaign events to tabling to listening to speakers, I’ve had the opportunity to attend lots of different types of events and meet tons of political figures. Perhaps my favorite event that I’ve attended so far was a campaign funding event at Former Congressman Wiley Nickel’s house in Cary, NC. The event was held to raise money for Former NC Governor Roy Cooper’s senate campaign, and Roy was in attendance along with several other politicians. I got to meet Wiley and Roy and take pictures with them, as well as wear a suit and look fancy. It was a night I will never forget. Everyone was so nice too! If you get the chance to meet Roy Cooper, you should. After that event, I met him again at Player’s Retreat (iykyk) and got another picture with him. If that’s not a reason to love Roy Cooper, he’s also a Carolina Hurricanes fan. Go Canes!
We’ve had the opportunity to host several politicians for our weekly chapter meetings. As a result, I’ve met City Council members from Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, Knightdale, and Apex, as well as State Senators and Representatives from around the state. I’ve met other high ranking officials like Jeff Jackson, our Attorney General, and Elaine Marshall, our Secretary of State. I’ve even met Anderson Clayton, the Democratic Party Chair for the state of North Carolina (I also got to attend her birthday party, which was super fun, and her personal assistant is an NCSU Dems member). One of my favorite people that I’ve met is Jonah Garson, the First Vice Chair for the North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP). He is one of the most vibrant people I’ve ever met, and one of the best public speakers I’ve ever seen (probably because he is a former theatre kid). I’ve met Wesley Knott, the Wake Dems Chair (super nice guy), Nida Allam, the famous Durham County councilmember who ran for NC-04, and Cheri Beasley, Former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court. All of these people have been incredibly friendly, they’ve informed me about their jobs and what they do, and they’ve helped me expand my connections from just politicians I knew in Fayetteville, NC, where I grew up, to politicians all around the state.
Outside of the official events, I’ve gotten to attend social events with the members, including football watch parties, weekly movie nights, weekly dinners, ice cream runs, and No Kings protests. From those, I’ve become best friends with the club’s president and his girlfriend, as well as good friends with most of the executive board and a few other general members. Perhaps my favorite person that I’ve now met is my boyfriend. For privacy, I won’t get into details, but he was an executive board member and I was a general member. Without Dems, most of my current social circle would not be in my life, so I can’t imagine my college experience without them.
Executive board positions
I never thought that I would become an executive board member after only being a part of Dems for a semester, but here we are. In December, our club held elections to fill several voids in our board. I was chosen to become the Vice Chair for the Events and Planning Committee, and I absolutely love my job. I’ve gotten the opportunity to contact even more politicians and get to know them, as well as plan chapter meetings and other events. It does not take up a lot of my time, which is good because, like most college students, I’m immensely busy. I would highly recommend to anyone that they join the executive board once you become familiar with your College Democrats chapter. Most positions do not require a lot of extra time or effort, and it gives you the opportunity to get to know like-minded people better. All you have to do is fill out a Google Form and do a one minute speech in front of the members (if you are running for a higher position). I plan on running for a higher position the next time we hold elections, and I’m so excited!
How to join
If, after reading this article, you’re ready to join your local College Democrats chapter, yay, I’m so glad! You have secured friends, connections, and memories for life. Here are the steps on how to join:
- Search on social media, your college’s humanities page, or your college’s club list to find out if your college has a College Democrats chapter. If there is no chapter at your college, you can reach out to state leadership (CDNC, CDNY, etc.) to start a new chapter. I promise that starting a new chapter is not a daunting task. The state leadership is very friendly and always ready to help. In fact, my good friend just became the president of CDNC, and I couldn’t be prouder.
- If your college does have a chapter, look to see when their next chapter meeting is and attend (if possible). If the chapter meetings are during a time that you cannot attend, you can reach out to the club’s president and let them know you are interested in getting involved. Their contact information should be on the social media page.
- Once you arrive at the event, officers should come up and start talking to you. They are familiar with most faces, and speaking from experience, they can always tell who’s new. Stick around for the meeting and see if it’s something you’d like to be involved in.
- If you enjoyed the event, check out the club’s calendar to see when the next event or meeting is, and attend as many as you can and would like to attend. And…that’s it! You’ve officially joined! That doesn’t sound hard now, does it?
You’re probably wondering if there are club dues or attendance requirements. The answer is… no! That’s what makes College Democrats so amazing. You can be involved as much or as little as you’d like. The only time that attendance plays a factor is when elections are occurring. You will not be able to vote for officers unless you’ve attended 75% of the events or more. If you are interested, at any point, in running for an officer position, reach out to your club’s president and see the section above.