Letter: Important information left out of article

I cannot help but comment on the article, “Republicans host barbeque, discuss campaign issues” (in the Sept. 12 issue of The Spectrum). The article unfortunately missed the purpose of the event, especially the massive student involvement.

The “free lunch, meet the candidates” event was a product of the NDSU College Republican organization. The intended purpose was to raise students’ awareness about the upcoming elections, give them a chance to personally meet some of the state’s most notable elected officials and to learn more about opportunities within the College Republicans.

To make the event a success, College Republicans spent countless hours under the leadership of Chairman Eric Nygren.

Being an organization that proudly accepts no funding from student government, the College Republicans had to not only fundraise to pay for the food, but also made up fliers and spent hours inviting the impressive lineup of candidates.

Resulting from this hard work was a venue where over 300 students were in attendance, 40 of whom signed up for possible involvement in the College Republicans.

Also missed in the article were some of North Dakota’s highest-ranking officials: Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, Tax Commissioner Cory Fong, state House Majority Leader Rick Berg and state Sen. John Syverson.

U.S. Senate candidate Dwight Grotberg, Agricultural Commissioner candidate Doug Goerhring and Republican Chairman Ken Karls were also in attendance.

Hopefully now the College Republicans will get the recognition they deserve. It is also my hope that the student body recognizes the importance of becoming informed for the upcoming elections, whether Republican or not, and presents a voice on Election Day to be heard by officials across the state.

Nick Pederson
State Chairman, North Dakota College Republicans
Junior
Business Administration