Rob Miller loves to wake up early.
At least, that’s what the E-Board of Marquette Democrats will tell you. The sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences has taken over as the chairperson of the campus political group, Marquette Democrats and has the endorsement of previous College Democrats chair and Marquette alum Eric Rorholm.
“Robert is a good man and a great organizer. He understands that young people can do more than talk about issues,” Eric Rorholm an alum said, who endorsed Miller for the role. “Rob and the whole board are prepared to put in the hard work it will take for young people to make our voices heard more and more.”
Miller found himself drawn to government and politics at a young age. Since fifth or sixth grade, Miller said knew he wanted to study politics at a university in Wisconsin or Ohio, two states he proudly calls home.
“My calling was to live a life within politics, and Marquette University has assisted me greatly with answering that call,” Miller said in an email.
As the chairperson of one of Marquette’s biggest political groups, Miller said there is a lot of pressure, especially being a sophomore.
“I am forever grateful to have been given the honor of a lifetime at my age,” Miller said in an email, “From being a member my freshman year, the field organizer during the summer and fall of 2020, to now being chair my sophomore year is a feeling that cannot fully be expressed in words.”
The chairperson of Marquette Democrats has been held by some big names in politics, including Jason Rae. Rae, who attended Marquette University, was one of the youngest people ever to be elected to the Democratic National Convention. He currently serves as the secretary of the Democratic National Committee.
“While I am the representative for the Democratic Party at Marquette, I would not be able to lead without all those who keep me grounded: my faith, my E-Board and all the members themselves,” Miller said in an email. “The members in the organization embolden me every day, even without them even realizing it. Although juniors or seniors normally serve on this seat, I am up for the challenges that come from this role during my sophomore year.”
Miller said he hopes to focus on the “human experience, with a large emphasis on the story that each person has to tell. This is something that other members of the E-Board have felt like field director and first year in the College of Arts & Sciences, Tommy Treacy.
“I think the biggest thing is that (Rob) has created a community where people can voice their opinions. They can see where others might disagree and grow from that,” Treacy said. “I really enjoy working for Rob. He creates a healthy, team-oriented atmosphere for everyone.”
This semester, Miller also will be in the same city as the President of the United States next week, when President Joe Biden travels to Milwaukee for a town hall at the Pabst Theater.
“We are very honored to have President Biden speak to us from Milwaukee,” Miller said in an email.
Biden will address an invite-only audience that will be live on CNN at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Miller said he hoped Biden touches on issues that are currently plaguing our nation, such as the coronavirus pandemic, the opioid crisis, increased rates of depression and adequate funding for health care.
This will be President Biden’s first visit to another state outside of the White House since his inauguration on Jan. 20. While he was originally supposed to be in Milwaukee for the Democratic National Convention, Biden accepted the nomination from his home state of Delaware due to the pandemic. while the city of Milwaukee remained quiet during what was supposed to be a booming time for the city.
Claire Driscol contributed to this report.
This story was written by Benjamin Wells. He can be reached at [email protected]
