Rindge Rec Represents New Digital World

By Alexander Malm

For the past three days incoming and current students and self-proclaimed “Political Junkies” at Franklin Pierce University prepped for the upcoming presidential primary season as part of the program Presidency and the Press hosted by the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication. Also, taking part in this program was the Rindge Recreational Program, a summer camp for middle school aged students.

Aside from these young students interviewing former White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater and Franklin Pierce Univeristy President Andrew H. Card, Jr., receiving a personal tour of the Boston Herald from Editor-in-Chief Joe Sciacca, and NH campaign headquarters for Presidential candidates Rand Paul and Martin O’Malley, they also had another unusual role.

Their presence represented a time of change in the political campaigning world. With the younger generation’s literacy for technological devices and the way they can navigate through the web from many different devices, it is safe to say they represent the new era of political campaigns.

These students at a young age are equipped with Snap chat, Facebook, Instagram and other social media outlets, allowing them to see what everyone in the policital world is thinking, saying, and doing. While those in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s—and even some young adults—are learning to use social media as a tool, many of the middle school age kids are already scholars of the new media.

As many political campaigns are being run by social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook it is safe to say that this will be important moving forward, not only in the 2016 election but in future elections as well. The Rindge Rec summer camp did more than go on field trips for the last three days—they represent the emerging technological world of political campaigning.

Alexander Malm is a junior majoring in Political Science at Franklin Pierce