By Caylee Hayes
Contributing Writer

The College Democrats of KU, or CDKU, joined the ranks of fellow student organizations in the Fall 2019 semester. They aim to increase student involvement and knowledge of politics. 

According to CDKU President, Elijah Zukowski, “The organization is still in its infancy. Right now we are focusing on recruitment.” The club currently has eleven members. 

Efforts are being made by KU students and staff to spread the word of the new political club on campus. CDKU is being introduced as an alternative to the already-existing club College Republicans. 

Zukowski said he and vice president Gabby Boyer were searching for a club to join early this semester, and they noticed that KU had a club for Republicans but not one for democrats. 

This did not sit well with him, so he and Gabby expressed their desire to start a democratic club to Dr. Anne Delong. Delong is an English professor at KU, and she is now the acting advisor for CDKU. 

Delong said, “I suppose the point of the organization is to create equity politically. If there is the presence of College Republicans, we feel like there should also be the presence of College Democrats”. 

Delong also said that the club’s focus will be on voter registration. With primaries coming up this year, they want to engage as many students as possible. Boyer stated that she believes it is important for everyone to be involved in the political process. 

Once the club has expanded Zukowski said he would like the club to host more events. CDKU plans on having events such as debate watch parties, political rallies, marches and even trips to Washington, D.C., in the future. 

Currently, CDKU is receiving money from the university, but Zukowski says they have yet to use any of it. Once they do tap into their funds, Zukowski says they will use it primarily for promotional purposes, to spread the word of CDKU. 

CDKU is an approved organization from the Democratic National Committee. The DNC is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party. 

Zukowski and Boyer also mentioned they would like to have a working relationship with the College Republicans. They hope to be able to host events together and work in unison to assist students with voter registration. 

There are no fees or dues to join the club, and they currently meet in Lytle 106. Boyer said once their numbers grow, the club would like to move their meetings over to the MSU. 

Zukowski said, “It is important to understand all aspects of the United States and its government.”