How do you convince young people to take a more active role in the American political process?
That’s a question folks on both the Right and Left have been pondering for decades.
Oxford resident Paul Stephens is hoping a giant pachyderm lined with high-tech holiday lights will do the trick.
Stephens, a 2015 OHS graduate, spearheaded a project that entailed affixing more than 2,500 dazzling LED lights to the Greater Oakland Republican Club’s (GOGOP) signature elephant float, a mainstay in local parades for years now.
‘What we really want to do is inspire young people,? he said. ‘That’s the whole goal of the project.?
These lights aren’t your father’s old-fashioned, incandescent form of exterior illumination. No, sir.
Each of these programmable LED lights contains red, green and blue diodes that when mixed and matched create ‘pretty much any color imaginable,? according to Stephens.
With the push of a button, the outline of the red-white-and-blue elephant becomes a vibrant, flashing rainbow from trunk to tail.
By making the GOGOP float more eye-catching and energetic, Stephens hopes to show young people that politics isn’t just all stodgy old men sitting around in smoke-filled rooms.
‘They see (politics) as boring,? he explained. ‘I’m trying to create something that’s fun, something that’s interesting and engaging.?
The revamped elephant float will make its debut in the Oxford and Lake Orion Christmas parades on Saturday, Dec. 5. Oxford’s parade begins at 2 p.m., while Lake Orion’s kicks off at 6 p.m.
Stephens, a freshman studying mechanical engineering at Kettering University in Flint, is inviting young people to come out on Saturday and either walk beside the elephant float or ride on it.
Many local leaders will be marching as part of the GOGOP entry, making it, in Stephens? mind, a perfect opportunity for young people to meet them, open up a dialogue and learn more about what’s happening in their government.
Speaking as a young person himself, he prefers the informal, lively setting of a parade to traditional political formats.
‘I’m not as tempted to go to a speech or a rally as I am something where I can communicate one-on-one with elected representatives in a comfortable environment,? Stephens said.
Stephens noted it’s not just conservative-minded youth who are being invited to join the GOGOP float in Oxford and Lake Orion’s parades.
‘We hope to encourage all young people, no matter what their political views, to come out and interact with their local leaders,? he said. ‘It’s not really a partisan thing.?
Stephens believes it’s vital young people in general become more informed about their government and participate in shaping it through all aspects of the democratic process, from voting to campaigning to running for office.
‘The policies enacted today directly affect your future,? he said. ‘If you don’t take an active role in your government, what do you have to complain about??
Stephens is currently working on Addison Township resident Joe Kent’s campaign to win the GOP nomination for the 46th District seat in the state House.
He said he was drawn to the Republican Party because of the value it places on the traditional principle of limited government.
‘I feel our country is in danger of moving towards philosophies that just don’t work in our society,? Stephens said. ‘I saw the Republican Party as sort of a beacon of light. The policies they stand for simply make sense, in my mind, for our future.?