Blogs a trend in campus political discussion

When Melissa Westmoreland was a freshman at UNCG she would write what she calls "long political rants" and post them on her dorm room walls.

These days, Westmoreland, a senior and president of UNCG's College Republicans, has a new outlet -- the blogosphere. She now has a much larger audience -- and the readers are talking back.

It's part of a trend in campus political discussion that's taken debate from the coffee houses to the Internet -- where everything from complex policy discussions to down-and-dirty mudslinging is a mouse-click away.

Starting a conversation

"I think this is where political discussion is going," Westmoreland said. "It's an open forum, anybody can do it. It's a fast and easy way to get a conversation started."

Westmoreland said the back-and-forth comment threads draw people to the College Republican blog.

"Sometimes I'll post something and people will just go nuts with comments," she said. "Liberals and conservatives, there's just this huge argument. But at least they're talking about important things."

Some things are more important than others. Through an open comment system any member of the College Republicans can post.

Content ranges from discussion of recently installed UNC President Erskine Bowles to cartoons and anti-Islamic jokes.

UNCG's College Democrats have also set up a blog. The groups check out and respond to each others' posts.

"Both groups are doing something to start a real debate, where we aren't just preaching to the choir," said Sam Bickett, vice president of the College Democrats. "I think that's what it's done. If it gets people talking it's always worth doing it."

Some students aren't so sure.

"I don't think real debate happens on the Internet," UNCG sophomore Matt Hill Comer said. "If you're just ranting, it doesn't add anything thoughtful to the discussion. I think on our campus the partisan blogging has just been more divisive than anything else."

Blogging as activism

Comer began blogging last year, creating what he said is a nonpartisan blog devoted to activism.

"The blog is a way for me to get my voice out there and let people know about things they maybe wouldn't see in the traditional media," said Comer, who updates the blog up to five times a day.

Comer posts gay and lesbian news stories, often putting in his 2 cents.

"With my blog I have no boss, I have no one editing me," Comer said. "No one is going to tell me a story is too political, too controversial."

Blogging as a community

At N.C. A&T, one of the most popular blogs isn't partisan or activist.

"Our World, Our View" looks at race, sex, entertainment and politics from an African American point of view.

The site began as the personal blog of the A&T student body president but two years later there is a staff of 10 student bloggers, some posting from as far away as Arizona.

"There's such a void for young people to discuss the things that are important to them," said Calvin F. Williams III, the A&T senior who created the blog. "We talk about movies, what's hot and what's not, but when people get drawn into it they see there's substance, posts about business and politics, too. I think that's what a good blog does -- it gets people involved and thinking about their communities."

Joe Killian is an active blogger. His blog, "Automatic Writing," can be found at www.joekillian.blogspot.com. He can be reached at 373-7023 or jkillian@news-record.com