When Barack Obama clinched the 2008 presidential election, the media was quick to examine the reasons behind it — and one of the first they discovered was a surge in youth voting, specifically among the under-30 demographic.

College is a period in life of self-discovery and often the time when students first begin to participate in political activities or organizations. Universities have long been bastions of political activism, and since most students are over the age of 18, they are eligible to vote, an important rite of passage in life. While the extent of political involvement for many students is casting their ballot at the polls, others are more passionate about certain issues and put their words into action — through campus political groups, internships and protests.

A political science major, senior and president of the UW College Republicans, Auggie Eck has worked in politics throughout his time at college. During his sophomore year, he worked on Rep. Dave Reichert’s, R-Wash., reelection campaign. As a junior, he served as the King County Republican Party’s “Get Out The Vote” coordinator for the 2007 and 2008 election cycles.

Eck said he loves working in politics because he believes it is a field in which hard work is almost always rewarded.

“It’s a true meritocracy,” he said. “If you are willing to put in your time early on and do a good job, people recognize and will seek you out when the other positions open up. Politics is a field in which they are constantly looking for eager and enthusiastic college students to fill positions of responsibility and importance. It’s also a field in which everyone knows everybody else, so you get to know everyone from the top to bottom very quickly.”

College Republicans member Justin Bryant — who also serves as co-chair of the Washington State College Republicans — has been politically active since his freshman year, when he first attended a College Republicans meeting.

“After that first one, I was hooked,” Bryant said. “The first time I volunteered for a Republican candidate, I thought it was so exciting — knowing that I not only get to vote, but to influence who thousands of others vote for too. It was a great feeling.”

Bryant worked on the Reichert reelection campaign, as well as Dino Rossi’s 2008 gubernatorial bid.

It was a lot of grunt work, he said. A lot of late nights, weekends holed up in the campaign headquarters or out doorbelling in less-than-kind weather conditions. But the buzz of knowing his actions could influence others kept him going, he said.

During the summer, he headed east. Bryant managed to snag an internship in Washington, D.C., at the Washington Policy Center, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, which he said was one of the most interesting experiences of his life.

While there, he produced several pieces of research, including an analysis of transportation taxes and fees collected in Washington state during the past 10 years contrasted with reductions in traffic delay times.

“My research concluded that both taxes per family and delay hours are up nearly 50 percent during the past 10 years,” Bryant said. “As an intern, getting to do such crucial research — the results of which can influence state policy — was very exciting. It felt like I was working towards making a difference.”

Bryant said he feels his political work has not only been personally rewarding but will help him with job placement after graduation.

“In politics, especially in D.C., having connections gained through experience really helps with finding a job,” he said. “Being active in college makes you a strong candidate for jobs with elected officials or congressional campaigns.”

As well as volunteering for campaigns, political internships can help a great deal, according to Archita Taylor, a junior and former UW Young Democrats member.

Taylor joined the Young Democrats immediately upon arriving at the UW, and she was most active during her freshman and sophomore years. The summer after her first year, she headed to the capitol where she interned for the D.C. office of U.S. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington. As a sophomore, she worked for Darcy Burner’s congressional campaign and last summer interned at the Democratic National Committee. She had the opportunity to attend the 2008 Democratic National Committee in Denver, Colo. Currently she serves as ASUW’s assistant director of government relations.

Taylor said she feels it is crucial for students to become more politically aware during their college years since, as citizens of voting age, they are capable of influencing policy.

“Politics and government affect everyone, not just people our parents’ age,” Taylor said. “The decisions of our politically elected officials impact on many levels every day.”

Taylor said she’s hopeful student involvement will only continue to rise following the historical election of President-elect Barack Obama.

“I think that, more and more, students are beginning to realize that their voices matter, especially with the campaign and nomination of President-elect Obama,” she said. “I think that student involvement will only increase with increasing importance of state and world affairs. There are many issues, such as the weak economy, that will impact students in college, as well as our lives in the coming months and years.”

The media has started to reflect this notion.

Currently, the youth demographic is beginning to slowly change the way the mainstream media covers politics. NBC employed the late Tim Russert’s 22-year-old son Luke — a recent college graduate — to cover youth issues and concerns in the 2008 election. Political strategists from both parties are taking note and attempting to reach the younger generation through technology and alternative forms of reporting such as podcasts and blogging, making politics more relevant to the generation-Y lifestyle.

For college students and soon-to-be graduates, there has never been a more exciting — or important — time to get politically involved.

Reach reporter Katie Paff at features@dailyuw.com.