By April Robertson

The UA political science department and law school produce many future politicians, including some who might be in the spotlight years from this very day: Election Day.

But the common ground of going to the UA, attending lectures by the same professors and living in the same town doesn’t always produce students with a unity of goals, views and itineraries.

Jonathan Woehr, a political science major, said he hopes to run for a position in the Legislature someday. And Woehr already has a rough layout of the path to legislator planned: In 2007, he started making contacts and forming more concrete ideas for his career after he was offered a position on a campaign staff in Arkansas.

As a state legislator, Woehr said he would focus most closely on the fiscal responsibilities of the local and state governments. In that position, Woehr said he thinks it is important for officials to “remember that it is not your money in the first place.” This would drastically change the way money is spent on the state level, he said.

Woehr decided to pursue a political career over attending law school because he feels there are enough lawyers in this world and that he could serve better elsewhere.

Woehr said he intends to finish his education first by completing his political science major and possibly a Middle Eastern studies minor.

Then, Woehr plans to earn his master’s degree in a more fine-tuned area of political science. He said he would like to teach at some point in his career, though the chronology of his plans is not set in stone.

“A lot of people think (the job as a politician) is a power trip, but that’s not why I’m getting into it,” he said. “I’m tired of people complaining and not doing anything about it.”

Woehr said financial aid is one of the most relevant political topics for students to become involved in.

“It’s sad that there are more loans than grants,” he said. “Loans pile up so much that they become (like) a second mortgage.”

Woehr was also disappointed in the student involvement during the last presidential election. He said many students were apathetic, even though the election was designed to rein in students.

His suggestion for a solution begins with authority figures, rather than students.

“It starts with parents, teachers and campus news,” he said. “It is their job to inform (students) and find a way to make them want to get involved.”

Tyler Tarnasky, a communications major, plans to attend St. Thomas Law School in the spring semester. Eventually he would like to become a public defender, though the scope of career opportunities is widening as he continues his higher education.

And Tarnasky has kept the ambition of public defender despite its less handsome benefits.

“Most people (in law school) don’t choose this; it’s not glamorous, you don’t get paid as much and you work long hours,” he said.

But Tarnasky feels that by helping those who can’t afford it, he could serve the public in a rewarding way.

“Everyone is entitled to defense,” Tarnasky said.

Another of his career possibilities is working with medical malpractice law, where doctors are the main clients.

“My dad is a doctor and both of my grandparents are doctors, so it is an area that interests me,” he said.

Tarnasky thinks that students are not very informed about political issues, which directly influences their involvement in elections.

However, he said he thinks that students were more involved in the most recent presidential election, even if many of them might have been single-issue voters.

In his opinion, the problem starts with a narrow base of knowledge, limited information shared by one particular teacher or parent.

Tarnasky encourages college students to become more aware of the issues with unemployment, national debt and health care, as they will impact students in very direct ways after college.

“We should learn about health care now while we are still young and healthy,” he said, “because one day it is very likely that you will need health care.”

Despite his view of student participation, Tarnasky thinks that college students definitely have the capacity to become involved in political issues enough to make a difference.

For starters, he suggests students simply focus more on issues and news.

“As long as you are thinking and picking things up, it’s a good thing,” he said.

Tarnasky suggested students join Young Democrats, College Republicans or other political groups on campus, as well as regularly read the news.

Newspapers are easily accessible on the UA campus, and this is something Tarnasky enjoys – especially because newspapers are available in front of every building.

Curtis Schube is a third-year law student who plans to work in public issues. His career plans are centered on particularly Christian-oriented issues, such as reinstituting prayer in schools, banning abortion and preventing gay marriage by law.

In his opinion, undergraduate students are not involved in political issues, but should do research and watch news before forming opinions. He echoed Woehr with sensing a strong pattern of “apathy in youth.”