This past weekend West Virginia Young Democrats had a meeting at the student center to discuss campaigning strategies and hold their election for group representation. This meeting on Saturday was hosted by the Shepherd University college chapter and consisted of members of other chapters throughout WV, meeting and listening to guest speakers all while learning strategies to work with the community. Then on Sunday, elections were held to choose the chapters’ representatives.

Kristen Ross, President of WVYD, said, “There are three main goals with this organization, we want to get young people involved in politics, give young people a position of power, and keep youth enthralled in politics all the time and not just during election time. Most importantly our focus is spreading positivity through politics and eliminating all the negativity one tends to see in the mainstream.”

Ross spoke on how all too often, people are usually only interested in politics during presidential elections, but this organization wants to make sure that people are aware of what is going on in their local areas on a day to day basis.

Ross said, “Everyone knows what our president is tweeting, or what is going on with Syria, but often they don’t know what is going on right in their backyard.”

Lacey Connelly, the organization’s Vice President of Communication, spoke on the importance of working with the local community, and spreading positive ideology through that.

Connelly said, “Just being involved in your community is a political act. A lot of people may think the only part of political involvement is what they see on television or social media when it is so much more. Working with others towards a greater goal, helping your community get an event together, or even campaigning with a petition of some kind is politics. We want to share the knowledge on how to do that with the local youth and give them the experience the world demands.”

Connelly also spoke often on the organization’s social media as well, and encouraged members and non-members alike to use the hashtag #Goingforward when speaking on local politics and how it effects themselves.

Connelly said, “Avid social media presence shows that we as young people are not giving up on democrats. They very well may be republicans in office but we will make sure our voices are still heard. In times like these, having a voice isthe most important thing there is.”