UMass student enters bid for Massachusetts State Representative

Garret Shetrawski, a 19-year-old UMass Amherst sophomore from Winchendon, Mass., has recently announced his intention to run for a local state representative seat as a Republican.

According to the Sentinel & Enterprise Newspaper, Shetrawski has goals of reducing regulations for small businesses and will “fight the Democratic machine that has encumbered local businesses with bothersome red tape.” While his political stance is typical of a Republican, his run for public office is noteworthy because of his young age.

Shetrawski doesn’t see his age as a limiting factor and “want[s] to make a difference [in his community] right now.” He cites his family’s political background as a motivator, and mentions his experience as the chairman of the Winchendon Republican Town Committee as an experience that negates his youth.

Mount Holyoke Politics professor Douglas Amy agrees that age should not be a limiting factor in government. He stated, “Being young should not make one unfit for office any more than being old. Young people may not have much experience in political office—but many local state candidates of all ages often run for office for the first time without any prior political experience.”

Taylor Anderson ’15 agreed with Professor Amy when she explained that she believes the most important qualifying factors for political candidates are their ideas, their experience and their running platforms. “Though age could possibly influence these factors, I don’t think this is a necessary indicator of success in a government position,” she said.

However, not all students agree with this viewpoint. Evelyn Masterson ’16 shares a different perspective. She believes that a person is not ready for political office until they are at least 26 years old. Masterson explained that the brain is still developing until the age of 26, and thinks that a college student will not be able to relate to the average voter as he “has neither a family of his own nor a full-time job.”

Anderson also pointed out that there are a good number of successful politicians who began their political careers earlier in life than the majority. She mentioned that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate when he was only 29 years old, and that current Holyoke Mayor, Alex Morse, was elected when he was only 21. He was an undergraduate college student when he was first elected, something that he shares in common with Shetrawski.

Amy believes that younger people, like Mayor Morse, have different, and often more liberal, political views than older Americans do, and thinks that these ideas should be equally represented in government. “So called ‘Millennials,’ people between 18 and 32, are more progressive than older Americans. For example, 75 percent of Millennials think the government should do more to improve education [in public schools], versus 54 percent of older generations.” Amy went on to say that many Millennials also want to see the government do more to reduce poverty, develop clean energy sources and ensure access to affordable health care.

While crafting policies that allow for the development of clean energy sources and participating in government may seem like a struggle for some, many students at Mount Holyoke have political ambitions. Over the past five years, there has been an average of 38 Politics majors in each graduating class. Other resources, like the Weissman Center for Leadership, various political organizations, Community Based Learning programs, Model United Nations and the Roosevelt Institute, provide Mount Holyoke students with assistance and practice in public policy, activism and leadership.

While the Roosevelt Institute at Mount Holyoke does not reflect on public policies and government spaces, it does offer critical and important perspectives on various topics. Jessica Morris ’15 thinks that we can make politics more “accessible to people of color, the LGBTQ community and to women when cultivating networks and mentorships among each other. These are communities that are impacted by politics the most and they have every right to have their voices heard.”

All of these programs, clubs and initiatives have an important effect on future policy makers and young leaders. Masterson said, “I believe that MHC tries especially hard to produce outspoken, independent, hard-working, courteous students who care a great deal about the world they live in, and, therefore, would make fine politicians.”

While Shetrawski might benefit from the resources available to Mount Holyoke students, it seems likely that he will be successful regardless.