Equipped with a governor and a majority in both houses of the Michigan Legislature, MSU College Republicans are looking to ignite a passion for politics among students, according to Vice-Chair Tori Whiting.

Whiting, an international relations junior, said her work with the MSU College Republicans, or MSU CR, last year was full of excitement during the elections, but waned afterward. This year, Whiting and her cohorts hope to motivate students beyond presidential politics.

“New issues arise on both the state and federal levels every day and this is an idea we hope to keep in mind all year long,” Whiting said.

With an emphasis on core Republican values including government spending and taxes, paired with events designed to feel relaxed and welcoming, Whiting said her group aims to show students they can have a good time while being politically engaged.

Seeking to break the established two-party system while helping students understand what it means to be a Libertarian, Lucas Joncas is looking to continue dispensing information and reaching out to students

Serving as the President of the MSU College Libertarians, Joncas, an economics sophomore, spent much of his freshman year getting involved with the group, saying they did a good job having timely events throughout the year on a range of topics from marriage equality to the federal deficit.

For fall 2013, Joncas said he hopes to expand exposure all while maintaining the cordial nature of dialogue.

“One thing we do during massive outreach efforts is to gather contact information and establish a dialogue with students,” he said.

As his group continues to work with the other student political groups on campus, Joncas said new events covering the NSA spying scandal and free-market environmentalism will inform and captivate students.

For Rawley Van Fossen, president of the MSU College Democrats, 2013 will see the continuation of voter registration efforts alongside grassroots engagement with students.

One of the biggest accomplishments for the Democrats was registering over 5,000 students to vote, and Van Fossen said they’ll continue to work to get students into the voting booths. The East Lansing City Council election, as well as in-state races will keep the group busy year-round, according to Van Fossen.

But for Van Fossen, getting the voice of student democrats out there remains one of his groups primary objectives.

“In a state where you can be fired from your job all because of who you love, or where saying the word vagina in the State House gets you banned from speaking, and even a nation where the cost of college is growing every year, our voice matters,” he said.