Quarterly Newsletter Table of Contents
Goals for the Year The Quarter in Brief First Meeting		Kevin Conlon Dean Visit IDEA Conference
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Goals for the Year
By Scott Duncombe, Communication Director
The UC Dems will focus this year on preparing our membership for the 2006 Midterm Elections by sponsoring a training camp for members. Hopefully we will also feature a prominent speaker this winter which will discuss the challenges our party faces in the coming elections. As the midterm elections approach in the spring we will help our membership secure internships and volunteer positions with local campaigns. We are also working towards facilitating greater connections between other Democrats in the city of Chicago and our membership. We will try to build a Liberal Coalition on Campus with other Student Organizations which will stay active in the local Hyde Park and the greater South Side community through volunteering and social outreach.
The Quarter in Brief
By Scott Duncombe, Communication Director
This has been an exciting first quarter for the University of Chicago Democrats. We’ve made some real headway into a creating a more sustainable, more active organization on Campus. Along with some of the events described bellow, the UC Dems have brought several local leaders and candidates to campus for Brown Bag sessions with a small number of members. Using our network in Chicago we’ve also been able to attend some high profile fundraising events hosted around the city, such as the Dean visit described bellow. This quarter has also laid the groundwork for several important winter events such as the Liberal Gala and a visit from Campus Camp Wellstone, a political training organization.
First Meeting
By Candyce Choi
On Wednesday, September 28, the UC Dems met for their first general meeting of the academic year. New and improved from the previous years, the UC Dems have a reformed Constitution, and an expanded board aimed at getting more campus participation. The meeting began with opening statements by club president, Phil Caruso, on the club’s mission and planned events for the year. Then, the club’s board members introduced themselves. After introductions were complete, everyone at the meeting broke out into groups to explore the newly formed committees (Public Relations, Fundraising, Membership,) and Events that new members could get involved with. After a brief introduction to different committees, all attendees reconvened to hear closing statements by the president. Food was plentiful throughout the meeting, and all who attended could feel the board’s enthusiasm.
Kevin Conlon Visits Campus
By Wendy Gonzalez
	Kevin Conlon spoke with members of UC Dems and the University community about the importance of trusting your instincts, both in business and in life, in order to be successful. He stressed the importance of working with good people and building a strong base to garner support for a candidate's political agenda. He believes that the Democratic Party as a whole must ask itself what it stands for and present these ideas to the country as a united front. The success of the Democratic Party rests on continued involvement of young people, excited to promote better ideas for the country.
Dean Comes to Chicago
By Justin Sink
Six University of Chicago Democrats attended a fundraising event October 14^th featuring DNC Chairman Howard Dean. Dean addressed the small crowd, gathered at Elephant & Castle, a downtown Chicago pub, in his trademark frank and off-the cuff style on a wide range of topics, including the potential indictment of a number of high ranking Republicans, the importance of grassroots fundraising, and Democratic efforts to expand the party base beyond traditional strongholds. Dean also discussed the failures in the last election, and what the party leadership was doing to change course, and encouraged attendees to help both fundraise and campaign in local elections.
IDEA Conference
By Scott Duncombe
This Fall, Nine Chicago Democrats left early from the Reynolds Club to Lincoln Park to attend a day long Conference hosted by DePaul Democrats. At the conference several elected leaders spoke, such as Jane Schakowsky, Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Curie, and State Congresswomen Carol Ronen. There were also speeches given by Presidential Consultant Pete Giangreco, Political Consultant Dave Clarkin, and Deputy Governor Bradley Tusk. This conference was attended by other College Democrats from Columbia, Loyola, and Northwestern. The highlight of the day came at the end when Jane Schakowsky, Barbra Flynn Curie, and Carol Ronen all took questions from the assembled students about the State of the State.
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Pete Giangreco			Congresswomen Schakowsky, Majority Leader Barbra Flynn Currie, and State Congresswomen Ronen
UC Dems after the IDEA Conference		Congresswomen Schakowsky