Living right down the street from the state Capitol can offer many opportunities for students interested in tapping into the political arena.

As a student at MSU, state Rep. Gretchen Whitmer had an internship in the office of the Speaker of the House, where she first became involved politically.

"That's when I really cut my teeth in the political world and really learned about how important public policy is and how important it is to have someone advocating for your interests," the East Lansing Democrats said.

For students who aren't quite ready to jump into state politics, there are many ways to get politically involved on campus.

Rep. Virg Bernero, D-Lansing, said ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, is a good place for students to get involved in politics.

"I really believe in getting involved in student government," he said. "Think globally, act locally. It's an old cliché, but I think it's true."

Bernero said it's also a good idea to get to know East Lansing's City Council because the city's politics extend onto MSU's campus.

"Aside from ASMSU, there are other opportunities for students to be politically active on campus."

Whether students have a strong party affiliation or just a remote interest in politics, Bernero said they should check out MSU College Republicans or MSU College Democrats.

"MSU's student groups run the gamut of the political spectrum," he said.

"It is an embarrassment of riches you've got on that campus."

MSU College Democrats and MSU College Republicans get the campus politically active by discussing political issues and bringing in guest speakers and elected officials to talk about internship opportunities and helping out in campaigns.

The group's past speakers have included Bernero and Whitmer.

Andrew Goetz, the College Democrats president and a State News columnist, said Democrats have big plans to get students involved this year.

"We want to attract new faces and get the word out to freshmen who want to be involved in politics," he said.

Living near the Capitol makes it much easier to be involved, Goetz said.

Legislators often hire MSU students as interns to help them gain experience in the political arena.

"They are more than accepting of college students who want to get involved," he said.

Students also could use a group like MSU College Democrats as a résumé builder - the group is not just for the highly politically active, he said.

"It sets you on the right path for life to get involved in the democratic process - it helps you learn skills you can use for the rest of your life," he said.

The MSU College Republicans also help out in campaigning for candidates during election time. The group tries to educate the student body about views, group member Matt Thome said.

"Living in East Lansing, you have a great opportunity to affect how things are going in state government - it's not often you get to live this close to where laws are made," the political theory junior said.

To learn more about state government, students can pick up a copy of "A Citizen's Guide to State Government" from their home legislator.

The guide is also accessible online through the publications' section of www.michiganlegislature.org.

Students can register to vote at the East Lansing branch of Secretary of State, 400 Albert St.

If students are currently registered to vote but in another precinct can change their precinct through the secretary of state, or download an application from www.michigan.gov/sos.

All applications to register to vote and address changes must be filed at least 30 days prior to the election date.