Mayor Daniel Biss spoke to the importance of youth involvement in local grassroot politics and Democrats’ mission to flip congressional seats in Wisconsin at an event hosted by Northwestern College Democrats on Tuesday night.

During the meeting, the club also announced they would be providing opportunities for students to canvass for Democratic candidates across the Midwest every weekend until November’s midterm elections. 

“It is surprising, once you get in the game, how easy it is to make an impact, and how much the system runs on the relatively small percent of people who choose to get in and engage,” Biss,  the Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, said. 

At the end of the meeting, the club opened the floor to student questions, which ranged from queries about the death penalty to remarks on underrepresented rural voter involvement. 

One student asked about the Trump administration’s “weaponization of federal funding” and others expressed appreciation for Biss’ opposition to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which lobbied heavily against the mayor throughout the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. 

“I just want to try to do as much as I can to get the outcome in the midterm election that I want — which is a blue house, a blue Senate and a majority that is going to be able to curb the Trump administration’s unchecked power,” Medill first-year Kieran Blake said. 

Throughout the Q&A, Biss returned to his call for political reform and reiterated the importance of local involvement, such as canvassing.

After the event, Biss told The Daily that he was impressed with the level of engagement from the students in the audience. 

“The thing about this conversation we just had that was most striking was just how many hands were up in the air,” Biss said. “The whole room had questions, and I think that says something about where we are. We’re in this time when everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, this is extremely upsetting. I’ve got thoughts. I’ve got questions.’ And that’s how you actually build change.” 

Some students in attendance said they saw that same need for political engagement. For Medill sophomore Charlie Meyers, NU College Democrat’s communications director, the club represents more than an individual candidate or election cycle. 

Before joining, Meyers said she had never taken action to engage with the Democratic Party, or explore her “morals and values.” 

Throughout October and the beginning of November, NU College Democrats will be canvassing on weekends, both locally and regionally, with trips to Michigan and Wisconsin. 

“College Democrats has given me a platform and a voice to articulate what I genuinely believe in, and to create a platform for me where I feel like I can actually make change,” Meyers said.

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