With local elections just around the corner, students at East are doing their part to get their preferred candidates into office.

“Local elections, I would say, have the most impact on our lives as residents of Michigan,” Nathan Rose ‘23 said.

The day-to-day work on these campaigns isn’t easy, however.

“It’s a lot of canvassing, a lot of talking to like constituents and just informing them on the issue,” Rose said.

Canvassing is walking through neighborhoods to talk to people face-to-face about a particular candidate or issue. It’s a notably difficult part of the job.

“It was hard going door to door canvassing and talking to random people,” Theo Brundin ‘25 said.

The benefits of doing this work go beyond influencing elections, though.

“If I ever choose to work in politics in the future, I know which aspects I enjoy,” Rose said.

There are a multitude of reasons to join a campaign like this.

“I’m interested in politics and thought it would be a good experience, and it would be good for college applications,” Brundin said.

Joining a campaign can also serve as a great way to get into the world of politics, and for those who are already interested in them, it can be a great way to get hands-on experience and deepen your understanding of how it works.

“[Politics are] something that people will be involved in their whole life, and so it’s good to learn about it,” Adam Horos said.

They serve an integral role in the way these campaigns work, helping to contact more voters, expedite slow processes, like stuffing envelopes, and have valuable one-on-one conversations with constituents, but the work is rewarding.

“I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in politics,” Brundin said.

Past the hard work, the experience can be very rewarding, as you get to work with like-minded and smart people and make a positive impact on your community.

“It’s just a great group of people. Everyone has this common goal and it’s very uplifting,” Rose said.

Besides the benefits of helping the campaign, doing this work can help you stand out among your peers too.

“Everybody at East works really hard academically, but to make yourself stand out a little bit more, it helps to get involved in some different creative ways,” Horos said.

And getting involved with a campaign is easy, as well.

“Think about the party you like, Google who is running, go to their webpage and there is a volunteer tab and they will give you jobs to do,” Horos said.

Coupled with the good experience and learning, the added bonus of diversifying a college resume puts the cherry on top of a great experience that’s worth doing for any interested.