If you’ve walked the Breezeway this semester, you’ve probably seen them — clipboards in hand, tempting you with a free donut, stopping everybody and their mother to ask the same question: “Are you registered to vote?”
What might appear to be chaos from afar is anything but. Behind every QR code, protest sign, and Instagram story, the Florida Atlantic University College Democrats are running one of the most disciplined, high-energy operations on campus.
In a year marked by a heated gubernatorial race and high-profile mayoral elections reinvigorating the party, the FAU Dems have harnessed national momentum into a local movement — and, in the process, transformed themselves into one of the most visible and talked-about clubs at FAU. Their rapid growth, loud presence, and unrelenting push to get students politically engaged have made them less of a niche political org and more of a campus force. This is the method behind the madness.
Whether you’re a passive follower of politics or attended one of their many electrifying protests, there’s little mystique surrounding their success. According to Alexander “Alexi” Lambridis, Vice President of FAU’s College Democrats, the organization hasn’t just doubled in size — it’s quadrupled.
“We went from having about 300 followers on Instagram to — what — 1,200 this semester?” Lambridis said in disbelief.
That explosive growth doesn’t happen overnight. Outreach has reached an all-time high thanks to grassroots efforts, including collaborative social media posts and an exclusive special appearance by Florida House of Representatives candidate Oliver Larkin at a General Body Meeting in late October, which directly connected local races and policies to FAU students.
With a successful semester in the books, Lambridis emphasizes that the newly invigorated organization has no intention of slowing down in the spring. When prompted for where the College Democrats might be headed in terms of outreach next semester, he expressed that a “soap-box” style strategy was front-of-mind. “Change my mind” challenges could inspire meaningful dialogue on the Breezeway.
The efforts of the Florida Atlantic community to be politically active and aware are certainly not lost on them. It is that sustained effort and contagious spirit that is defining the greater political moment in history for Democrats — and Florida Atlantic University has its own little piece of that right on our Boca campus.
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