Three politically involved students have their voices heard

For the past month, Danie Pitre should have been in a fourth year journalism class at St. Thomas University.

Instead, she’s been working in a tight second-floor office off Prospect Street. Complete with faded red waiting room furniture, fake brick wallpaper and a fake plant. The small office is where she played a major role behind the scenes in the campaigning for New Democratic Party of New Brunswick.

Her story is remarkably similar to two other students involved in the recent election.

While less than 50 per cent of young people voted in the 2006 election, these students decided to not let someone else decide what the future would look like for them. All three agreed that youth must become politically active if they want the issues they care about to be addressed.

Before she became politically involved, Pitre was a self-described introvert. She said her experience has allowed her to not only shape policy, but to become more outgoing.

“I don’t think that there are many people who get a chance to be on the ground floor of rebuilding a party like I have,” she said.

Pitre’s journalism experience allowed her to start her summer with the NDP as a researcher. She made an impression and was offered the role of communications officer for the party during the election.

She was responsible for arranging press conferences, graphic design work, and getting the party message to the press.

Pitre said that being inside the political process is fulfilling because it gives influence.

“You feel like you can change the way a party thinks, you can influence the way that a party goes, you can influence even how an election goes, or how the government acts if you are actually involved,” she said.

“That is something I wish people would consider more when people say government doesn’t listen to them.”

Pitre said her father, who was a candidate for the NDP in Riverview, played a large role in encouraging her to get involved with the NDP.

“He wanted to run for the party to make it better,” she said, “but he also encouraged me knowing that I can be a shy person, that I should step out of my comfort zone and do something pretty awesome.”

Pitre’s role with the media also made her want to give her father more coverage even though she couldn’t.

“We’ve had heated debates. Sometimes he’ll call me up and have unreasonable demands.”

She said the dynamic has changed in their father-daughter relationship.

“I get to put my foot down and say, ‘No dad, you have to listen. This is what’s best for the party, you’re going to have to listen to me and take my advice,’” Pitre said while laughing. “I’ve never gotten to do that before!”

Noise carried up the atrium in James Dunn where Ellen Comer sat at a table outside the computer labs. Without stopping the conversation she gave a small smile to all who passed by.

As a social work student at STU and a candidate for the Green Party in the Maryland-Sunbury West riding, Comer balanced an election campaign, her studies and her personal life.

Comer said her mother’s strong community involvement created a desire for her to also become active in her community.

Though stressful, she said it was her desire to improve the province that drove her to put her name on the ballot.

“Instead of sitting back and essentially letting everyone else decide what our future is going to look like, I decided that I really wanted to have a say,” she said, smiling at another student who walked by the table.

“I wasn’t okay just sitting back and complaining every year and not doing anything.”

Recently installed as president of the UNB/STU Conservatives, Benjamin Hicks knew he couldn’t be involved in just the youth wing of the party.

He has worked with the PC campaign in Saint John, where he graduated from UNBSJ with a degree in political science. He has also worked for the Craig Leonard campaign here in Fredericton where he now studies law at UNB.

For Hicks it was his father who provided inspiration.

“He is someone with strong moral convictions who introduced me to how politics can be interesting.”

Hicks said that studying politics in a classroom cannot prepare you for what politics is really like.

“Until you’ve actually spoken to the personalities involved, until you see what goes on first hand in campaigns, in government, or inside a political party, you don’t really have any idea of what is actually taking place if you just study it in the classroom.”

While Hicks understands that politics can become an obsession, he doesn’t think he’s gotten to that point.

“It can take time from other things,” Hicks said. “I think it’s important to have some variety in life and not let it get out of hand.”

For him, it’s all about the connections and skills he’s learned that can lead to better career opportunities.

While their political stripes differ, Pitre, Comer and Hicks all agreed that being so politically involved has been difficult on them – and their relationships.

Pitre said it reached a point where she has cried because of the stress.

“I don’t get to see my friends very much and I’ve had friends who have commented that they think I’ve put too much into the party,” she said. “I have to remind them that an election only lasts 30 days.”

“It’s not going to be the rest of my life. It will return to normal.”

Pitre said that while the period was tough, the chance to make an impact like she did made it extremely fulfilling.