Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Campaign Comes to FRCC – What do Students Think?

As students at FRCC, we can expect various stands to be on our campuses, we are used to it. For me, on Larimer campus, I can expect to see at least a stand a day every time I walk into the Longs Peak student center. Whether it’s a guy selling hats, people conducting surveys, or university transfer stands, they are always there, and sometimes handing out food! 

But what about political campaigns? I saw my first political campaign stand, on February 15th, when Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s campaign came to Larimer campus. I gathered contact information from those who were there organizing the campaign, and later interviewed Anthony Maro, one of the heads of Kennedy’s campaign in Colorado. I asked about his candidate, and why the campaign had come to our campus. And along with interviewing Anthony, I talked to students to see how they felt about these kinds of stands at our school, and what they thought about the Kennedy stand specifically.

Fellow Front Range student Fatima Castro told me she “doesn’t see any harm” with political stands on campus, and that, “It’s nice to share point of views, but respectively.” Another student, Zev Rudkin shared Fatima’s thoughts. He said, “people should be allowed to voice their opinions.” Zev also admitted that he is, “not that involved with politics,” and other than knowing that Kennedy is running for president, he doesn’t know anything else about him.

Asked why he thinks students should be interested in his candidate, Anthony Maro, a leader of Kennedy’s campaign, said that Kennedy wants to get “money out of politics, … end these forever wars,” and protect the environment. I also asked Anthony why they had come to FRCC’s Larimer campus, and about the goals of the campaign. He said that, according to their plan, February was their “college outreach month,” and the campaign was trying to gather volunteers among people that were polling well for Kennedy. Anthony explained that, “Kennedy is polling astronomically with those 40 and under.” 

Because Robert F. Kennedy is running as an independent, in Colorado, he needs 12,000 petition signatures to get on the ballot. So that’s why Anthony and other campaign volunteers came to our campus, to gather more volunteers to help these petitions be signed when the window for signing begins on May 16th of this year.

Student Isaiah Lomeli, who also interacted with the Kennedy stand on the same day I did, thinks it’s important for there to be freedom of speech granted to everyone, “even those people who spew garbage, I think, have a right to say what’s on their mind. Not necessarily because I think they’re right, but because people need to hear how they think, and then people make an informed decision based on that.”

Fort Collins columnist, and instructor of my Introduction to Mass Media class, John Young, says, “Voting is the wind in democracy’s sails. Without it, the boat drifts and we languish, or someone in power orders people to “row.” When we vote, we supply motion and direction.” He also speaks on those who don’t vote. In reference to a CSU “no vote campaign,” he said, “That’s stupid. All that meant in effect was that they voted for the winner, regardless of what that winner might have done or stood for.”

Along with being a Robert F. Kennedy supporter, Anthony Maro believes in the power of the youth. “As an old white guy myself, you know, in another 20-30 years I’m going to be approaching my deathbed. But those of you, those of you in college are going to be the ones, you know, ruling the world.” As my final question to Anthony, I asked if he had anything else he wanted to tell Front Range students. He answered saying, “the youth is the future of this country.” He said that those of us 30 and under are “now the largest voting block in American history,” and that, “you guys really are the ones in the driving seat.”

So while other stands on campus might provide us with products to buy, college transfer opportunities, or tacos, political stands come with an empowering choice. And whether or not we agree with the policies of whichever candidate’s campaign is represented, we can choose to inform ourselves, and according to Fatima Castro, Zev Rudkin, and Isaiah Lomeli, that’s a good thing.