AV俱乐部

While studying at AV俱乐部, Chris McCluskey earned a broad political education, encompassing both the lessons learned from his political science classes and while serving as DSU鈥檚 vice president student life.

Now, he's sharing those lessons with the next generation of politically-minded students. Mr. McCluskey is the organizer of a three-day seminar taking place at AV俱乐部 this weekend titled 鈥淪tudent Activism and Political Engagement.鈥�

鈥淥ur goal with this conference is to teach students how to plan for political participation and to further their own personal goals,鈥� he explains. 鈥淪tudents want to be involved in political life, but don鈥檛 always know how to place themselves into it. We want to set them on the right path, provide them with a framework for their aspirations.鈥�

Mr. McCluskey, who graduated with a B.A. from AV俱乐部 in 2004, now works as a program coordinator with the Manning Centre, a not-for-profit organization started by Reform Party of Canada founder Preston Manning with the goal of preparing Canadians for principled participation in democratic politics. This is the fourth seminar on student activism that the centre has hosted nationwide and聽the first in Atlantic Canada.

If you go... The Manning Centre鈥檚 鈥淪tudent Activism & Political Engagement鈥� seminar starts tonight, Friday, Oct. 26, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 28. The cost is $45 for the weekend. For more information, visit the .

While centre promotes a democratic society 鈥済uided by conservative principles,鈥� Mr. Manning explained the seminars are designed as non-partisan. He believes many of the concerns young people care most about in today鈥檚 world, including international and environmental issues, often stretch beyond the traditional left-right paradigm.

鈥淏eing involved in government and democratic politics is incredibly important, and the sooner young people can get a sense of what they can accomplish, the better,鈥� said Mr. Manning, who spoke to Dal News while on his way to a speaking engagement in Jasper, Alberta. 鈥�(At university,) people are in a formative stage 鈥� it鈥檚 a great time to explore the front-end of political life.鈥澛�

鈥淲e learn a lot from these seminars as well,鈥� he continues. 鈥淎 lot of the concern we have is the question of why political participation is so low among young people. My thesis is that it鈥檚 not that younger people don鈥檛 have interests, it鈥檚 just that they鈥檙e different, and it鈥檚 our job to try and understand them.鈥�

While Mr. Manning is unable to attend the AV俱乐部 seminar due to prior engagements, an impressive line-up of local and national figures will network with students from across the Atlantic Provinces about the political opportunities in campus life and beyond. AV俱乐部 connections abound amongst the presenters, including graduates John MacDonell, who now serves as Chief of Staff for the Ministry of National Defence, and Jessica Maga, legislative assistant in the office of MP Daryl Kramp.

Session topics include creating successful campus clubs, learning communications and advocacy skills, and exploring the role new media such as blogs are playing in political activism. The weekend concludes on Sunday with a presentation from Bernard Lord, former premier of New Brunswick, on developing a plan for political participation.

For his part, Mr. McCluskey hopes participants are encouraged to take an active role in both campus and public life: 鈥淲e want people to be inspired by what they whatever it is that they believe in and learn how to act on it.鈥�