The Election is Over, but Sarah Marnell’s (’13) Work is Not Done

Name: Sarah Marnell
Major: Psychology
Class: 2013
Hometown: Fort Thomas, Kentucky

Sarah Marnell has a unique thing to put on her resume as she applies for jobs this year: introduced Michelle Obama. As the President of Kenyon Democrats, Sarah spent the fall leading Kenyon students in canvassing throughout Ohio, registering to vote, and getting to polls. Her Campus Kenyon sat down with Sarah to talk about Dems, the future, and Kenyon.

How did you get started in Kenyon Democrats?

I went to a Dems meeting my freshman year.  I really didn’t want to go because I was so scared, but it was something I wanted to be a part of. It was actually very low key, because it was 2009, after the 2008 election, so they were doing local stuff. It was not stressful at all. The president was super friendly and bubbly, and the vice president was really sarcastic, so they were a great mix. I really liked it, and I kept going back.  At the end of my sophomore year we held elections, and I was the only one running for president. No one ran against me, but there were four people who ran for VP, actually. It was pretty clear because I was very involved at the time, and it was kind of expected that I would be president. And then while I was abroad I received an email saying,  “Dems election results” and I had been reelected for this year. It was totally out of the blue, but I love it. I knew I was going to be involved one way or another. And I was more than stoked that Sydney Watnick ‘14 was elected VP.
 

Kenyon Dems made it their goal to get students where they needed to be. What were the final numbers on the polls and registration? Do you feel like Kenyon was enthusiastic about the election?

Gambier had 1100 people who voted for Obama, and 500 who voted for Romney. That’s the whole community, not just Kenyon. We organized and drove 300 students to the polls for early voting, and at least 400 more students voted on Election Day. We had shuttles going all day, just to make sure people could get to the polls, even though the station was right nearby.
I felt that the Kenyon community was enthusiastic, especially towards the end. With the last push people were really excited, they wanted to make sure they could vote, that there weren’t any problems with their registration. I wasn’t here on Election Day, but the reports I got were that it went really well. It went smoothly. People wanted to canvass; we got some last minute people who showed up on Election Day. It was exciting!
 

Why is the youth vote so important?

I think everyone getting involved is important, but I think it’s important for students because we don’t have full time jobs or anything. We have school and it’s incredibly hard and busy, but we have nothing else going on, why not be involved? We have the energy. This is our future. When we’re older the decisions today will affect our lives. It will affect our real-world jobs, our Medicare. How could you not care about that?
 

You’re a psych major; do you have any plans to continue being involved in politics?

I know politics are going to be important to me for the rest of my life. I hope to be involved in politics, like local campaigns wherever I end up. I’ve been working at a LGBT nonprofit, which isn’t political, but has a political stance. So, I would like to continue to work with nonprofits.
 

What is on the agenda for Kenyon Dems, now that the election is over?

We’re hosting an inauguration ball here, so Ladies and Lords get ready. Recently the Heartbeat bill [a bill that bans abortions if the baby has a detectable heartbeat] and a bill to defund Planned Parenthood were stopped but they will probably be brought back in January. We don’t know, but if they are brought back they will probably be passed because Republicans control the Ohio House of Representatives, and we will do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen. Planned Parenthood, their resources, and services are so important. We can’t let it go.

If you could describe your experience with the campaign in one sentence, what would it be?
 

It was the best experience of my life. The best thing I’ve ever done. I have no other words. It was amazing. So stressful, but so rewarding.

What about for your time at Kenyon?
 

Kenyon has been challenging and eye opening and I’ve learned so much about myself and other people who I never would have thought I would have been friends with, but whom I now love dearly. Kenyon has taught me to challenge my preconceived opinions. And that’s a pretty good lesson.