There are currently no student groups for Democratic candidates Jerry Brown, McCarthy or Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder.

Mazie estimates that the presidential race will begin heating up early next year with the Iowa Caucuses.

Prominent Issues

Once the campaigns pick up steam, there will be a variety of issues--such as the budget, education, health care and abortion--that will become prominent, students say.

"Domestic policy will be a big issue with the recession and with Clarence Thomas on the court, choice will be a be a big issue," says Steven M. Goodreau '94.

But others say that for this election, issues will be irrelevant.

"It will be a question of personal integrity. A lot of candidates in the past have been discredited," says Stone. "It will depend on who can survive that sort of beating from the press, the public."

"I will look more for a leader than an issue," says Pearson. "I will look at what they have done rather than what they will do."

But Kevin M. Wald '93 says he believes it is impossible to predict what issues will be important in a year.

"Politics is a very changeable thing," he says.