What does Jan. 27 mean to you? How about March 2? I’ll give you a hint; judging by George W. Bush’s tanking approval ratings, those are the days many of you will choose the next president of the United States. New Hampshire will hold their democratic primary election in January; Massachusetts will follow in March. If you care about who will be sitting in the oval office next year, you’ll get involved now.

Iowa holds the first primary election on Jan. 19, and New Hampshire follows soon afterward. All the candidates are focusing a great deal of attention on those two early primaries. Early victories mean more money for the campaigns and ultimately, survival into the national elections. New Hampshire is also unusual because un-enrolled voters can vote in the primaries; most states only allow members of the Democratic and Republican Parties to vote in their parties’ respective primary elections.

Every state holds an election between January and June of presidential election years to determine who gets to compete for the White House. When there is no incumbent president (remember the 2000 election), both parties hold primary elections. You might recall John McCain beating George W. Bush in New Hampshire; but, as you know, Bush won his party’ nomination. In 2004, Bush can still be reelected, so only the Democrats are holding primaries. What does this mean to you? If you don’ vote in your state’ primary elections, you won’ have a say in who will beat Bush.

The slogan “Anybody but Bush”is popping up on bumper stickers, T-shirts, and even at the University of Massachusetts College Democrats. The group named their presidential campaign awareness program “Who’s Your Anybody? That’s a great question, considering the importance of this upcoming election; I’m not seeing a great deal of student activism. All students have a responsibility to find the best “somebody” and at least vote for that person, but they should consider volunteering or interning on a campaign.

My anybody is Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut, and I’m fortunate enough to be interning for a person who I heartily believe is the best person to work in the oval office. I found out about internships for the campaign at the Senator’s website and applied online. I’m getting credit toward my major from the political science department, getting hands-on experience with the political and financial aspects of national campaigns, and I’m having a terrific time.

Last weekend, I went door-to-door in New Hampshire with Team Joe, asking people about their opinions on the candidates, specific issues and general concerns. I was legitimately amazed as state opinion polls materialized with unique faces, names and personalities; I’ll never think about New Hampshire voters solely in terms of statistics or percentages again.

You may have read about a majority of undecided voters, but imagine that you could meet hundreds of those voters and tell them why nobody will be a better president than your “anybody.” Debating politics over lunch is fun, but you’re not making a difference unless you vote or get involved with a campaign. In 2004, its time to get somebody elected into the executive office by a majority of votes instead of appointed by one vote from the Supreme Court. Unless you want to risk keeping Bush in office for another four years, you must vote, and you really should actively voice your concerns about the Bush administration by advocating for the Democratic candidates.

I’m sure most candidates have online applications for interns and volunteers, plus the Campus Career Center has a wealth of information about internships that students can do for college credit. I would urge students to volunteer for their preferred candidate for one day in New Hampshire. One of the privileges of living in New England is being so close to the political maelstrom whirling next door.

Every four years UMass students have an opportunity to help make history; that means every student that completes a traditional four- or five-year academic plan can participate in a presidential election, if only for one or two days. I intern for Senator Lieberman’s campaign once a week in Hartford, Conn., which is only an hour or two away from campus depending on the traffic. There are campaign offices for the Democratic candidates all over New England, some of which are less than an hour from UMass.

Many voters are disillusioned, especially since the controversial 2000 presidential election. What every eligible voter needs to realize is that the opportunity to reclaim national politics is not only preferable, it is obtainable. Register to vote. Nag your friends and family to register to vote. Get involved in elections and advocate for whichever candidate you believe in, but don’t give up hope and don’t sacrifice your electoral power because you dislike the current administration. Voter apathy is what got Bush into Washington in 2000.

I found a candidate who will make a terrific president, and I’m convinced Sen. Lieberman will help this country recover from poorly executed military actions, irresponsible tax cuts and the attempted complete disenfranchisement of economically disadvantaged Americans. As an intern for Sen. Lieberman, I would love to see every student at UMass join the campaign, but as a student and a person who lives in this country, I simply implore everybody to find their anybody.

Rachel Smith is a Collegian columnist.