THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, JULY 21, 20
POLITICS
Students gain experience o
ERIN ORRICK
news@kansan.com
In the second semester of his freshman year, Morgan Thevarajoo was slowly realizing that biochemistry was not the path in life that he wanted to take. The subject was no longer holding his attention.
Thevarajoo, a sophomore from Eudora, started to revisit a previous interest he'd had in international relations. This was a path that led him to his current roommate, who introduced Thevarajoo to the world of the Department of Global and International Studies.
After meeting with advisers and mulling over his options, Thevarajoo was intrigued at the prospect of pursuing politics further.
"I started to realize that, as much as I dislike what's happening in our government, politics was not all that bad," Thevarajoo said. "I slowly found myself interested."
His newfound fascination with politics led Thevarajoo to consider Student Senate, once again at the behest of his roommate. He is now a freshman/sophomore representative in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
"He invited me to help with elections and campaign with him, so I took him up on the offer, hoping that this would be that one thing that really confirmed that politics was what I wanted to do with my life," Thevarajoo said.
Thevarajoo, who is also a chair on the University Senate, has been working on Congressman Kevin Yoder's
campaign for the past two months.
After receiving a forwarded email from the president at Krehbiel Scholarship Hall where he learned about an internship within the Yoder campaign, Thevarajoo said the decision was a no-brainer.
"I knew that if I was going to pursue politics I was going to need experience, and it came gift-wrapped—bow and everything," Thevarajoo said.
Thevarajoo interviewed for the internship and was awarded it just a few days later.
Working on the campaign has been an eye-opening experience, Thevarajoo said.
When campaigning door-to-door, Thevarajoo said people will hang up on you or shut the door in your face before you've even introduced yourself.
Thevarajoo said he's had people tell him to leave and never come back, that they don't want to talk to him, and ask why he's there. While wearing a Yoder shirt, someone told him to take it off.
"You shouldn't be walking around with that on," Thevarajoo said the person told him. "How could someone as young as you fall so far?"
"You have to have thick skin in politics, or you will never survive," Thevarajoo said.
Although his job is to enter data, create phone banks and help canvas, the most rewarding thing Thevarajoo
has gained from his inte the relationships he's mad people he has met.
"Many times while out we meet someone with this story about how they have volved in a war, an issue wi ernment or how they are with a certain member in t ment," Thevarajoo said.
It was through hearing periences, Thevarajoo said gained knowledge that it would have obtained by he said it has given him a native on the same old things on the news.
"The people aspect of poally important to me, beca grand scheme of things, po the people." Thevarajoo sai
Though he's working on campaign for an opposing nior Joey Hentzler shares T passion for connecting wit
"The people I've met voters and people active in paign—make it feel like a than just a congressional race," Hentzler said.
Hentzler, a Topeka native in Kansas. As the son of a public servant, Hentzler was influenced by politics from age.
"I was 'volun-told' every community service and popaigns with my mom," Her
There were many open since Hentzler's mother, Sher-Hentzler, was very cor the community, and as he
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