The Hopkins College Democrats kick off their campaign to elect John Kerry tonight with a barbecue on the Beach, featuring appearances from Baltimore's Mayor Martin O'Malley and over 25 other government officials from around Baltimore and Maryland.
Over 50 local Democratic clubs and organizations will be in attendance as well.
Junior Christine Krueger, president of the College Democrats, said, "The purpose of this event is to get students, faculty, and members of the surrounding communities excited about participation in democracy and the importance of voting for the Democratic ticket in both state and national elections this year."
The barbecue marks the beginning of a two-month campaign to promote political awareness and voter education before the Nov. 2 general election date.
"The purpose of this event is to educate, promote and excite students about the possibilities of connecting with Democratic groups and organizations and helping John Kerry and John Edwards in their campaign," Krueger said.
College Democrats Vice President, sophomore Stephanie Hausner, said while this is the formal start of the group's efforts, behind-the-scenes activism has been taking place for a while now.
"The College Democrats in the last year have been very active under our new leadership, and a lot of great things have been accomplished," Hausner said. "For one, Hopkins was the first college of the many chapters of Democratic Colleges of America to support Senator John Kerry in January of 2003."
With an ongoing schedule of rallies and showcases in the community, including a bumper sticker distribution campaign, "this BBQ is a fun way to get the word out on campus as to what the role of the College Democrats will be in the present and in days to come," Hausner said.
The event will include a performance by musical group Dr. Chaos and the Strange Tractors.
Krueger anticipates the highlight of the night will be O'Malley's speech on "political participation, marching to the polls, and convincing others of the sheer importance of students in this upcoming presidential election."
O'Malley has been mayor of Baltimore City since 1999, when he was elected in a landslide, receiving 91 percent of the vote.
Since coming to office, his mantra has been that Baltimore should be a city in which every individual in every locality can be free from harm.
At the outset of his term, O'Malley faced arguably the worst violence problem of any American city. Under his direction, the police department implemented the New York City Police Department's CompStat crime-fighting program. In three years, violent crime dropped by 30 percent.
Since O'Malley's speech at the Democratic National Convention in late July, talk of national aspirations has circulated in both local and national media.
Numerous pundits have also suggested that O'Malley may challenge Maryland's incumbent Governor Robert Ehrlich, Jr. in the 2006 gubernatorial election. Ehrlich is Maryland's first Republican governor in 36 years.
Several members of Maryland's state government will be in attendance, as well as a large portion of Baltimore's City Council, including City Council President Sheila Dixon, who, along with her colleagues, faces re-election this November.
Hopkins alum, Maryland State Delegate Bobby Zirkin '93 (D-11th), will also speak at the assembly.
Zirkin served as President of the Maryland Young Democrats at Hopkins before defeating incumbent in 1998 to become a member of Maryland's legislature.
The barbecue is free and open to the public. Food and refreshments will be served.
The College Democrats request that guests arrive at approximately 5 p.m, 30 minutes prior to the introduction of Mayor O'Malley's speech.
