Jacob Redfern wants to change the world, starting with the community of Bowling Green. A sophomore with a major in political science and a minor in philosophy, Redfern hails from Gahanna, Ohio, a small town near Columbus, and hopes to leave a lasting impression on Bowling Green through politics. ‘People always want to change the world, but if you stay sitting in your dorm room all day playing Halo 3 not ever getting out, you’re not going to change the world,’ Redfern said. ‘Politics and actively serving in government is one of the easiest ways to influence your community.’ With a background in politics, Jacob hopes to eventually attend law school and maybe settle down in Bowling Green to start a family sometime in the future. ‘I’d like to come back to Bowling Green,’ he said. ‘It seems like a great community to raise children in.’ Jacob’s appreciation for the town has led him to begin campaigning for the City Council elections coming up in November. But he hasn’t always been so dedicated to the city. Graduating among the top 50 students of his class, Jacob applied and was accepted to Ohio State University, Ohio University and BGSU. He was offered a scholarship for academics as well as to perform on the University Forensics team, on which he has served as treasurer and is now a varsity member. Although the money was a factor in his decision, Jacob said it was the people, campus and umbrellas that won him over. While making his decision on which school to attend, Jacob said it rained for every visit to each school he toured. ‘BG was the only one with umbrellas,’ he said. ‘At least Bowling Green was dealing with the weather.’ Now in his second year at the University, Jacob said in spite of a few rough experiences with class, he doesn’t regret the decision. ‘Everyone sometimes wishes they’d gone somewhere else. We’ve all had the bad Philosophy 101 professor and the bad English 112 teacher, but I don’t think I’d want to go anywhere else.’ After deciding to attend the University, it didn’t take Jacob long to get involved.’ Redfern was originally recruited by the University to serve on the speech and debate team and within the first week of his freshman year, he had attended his first College Democrats meeting, an organization he’s been involved with ever since. College Democrats isn’t Redfern’s only experience in politics, however. He first got his start in politics in high school working for the Ohio Democratic Party doing little more than copying and recording donations made to the ODP and writing thank you letters. However, in spite of this humble beginning, Jacob’s work with the ODP sparked his interest in politics and gave him a jump start into the world of politics. ‘My time with the ODP really got my foot in the political door,’ he said. ‘[It] really gave me a chance to explore politics.’ With his interest piqued, Jacob served in 2006 he worked on Ted Strickland’s campaign for governor and in 2008 he worked on the Obama campaign as well as working on Robin Weirauch’s campaign in 2007 for a seat in Ohio’s fifth congressional district. Although his involvement in College Democrats and other activities consumes a lot of his time, Jacob enjoys kicking back after a long day and watching some adult swim or hanging out with friends. ‘My favorite all time adult swim show is Robot Chicken,’ he said. ‘I’m just like any other college student, I like hanging out with my friends.’ His friends like to hang out with his as well. ‘[Jacob] is a hard worker, really intelligent and isn’t afraid to say his ideas,’ said Danni McConnell, a member of College Democrats. ‘He’s a good speaker and all around good guy.’ Sophomore Jennifer Benhase, a close friend of Jacob’s, said Redfern is an honest, supportive guy. ‘He’s a really great guy,’ she said. ‘He always has something supportive to say, no matter whether you want to hear it or not he’ll always tell you the truth.’ Jacob is indeed human however, and had some difficulty with classes his freshman year, and, accordingly, his grades at the University have suffered slightly.’ During his second semester Redfern ‘made the mistake’ of taking Biology 204 and found the class far more challenging than expected. ‘It was worth five credit hours of my 15 credit hours,’ Redfern said. ‘It completely tanked my overall GPA.’ In spite of one poor grade, Jacob has adjusted well to college life, ending last semester with a solid 3.5 GPA and expecting to get a strong 4.0 this semester. Redfern also intends to retake the class that brought him down and get his cumulative GPA back up. ‘Those general ed classes, they’ll get you,’ Redfern said. Having taken summer classes in 2008, and entering college life with a solid 15 hours of AP credit, Redfern said he could actually graduate in only seven semesters, but intends to stretch out his stay to complete his terms as city council member, should he win. ‘I’m really passionate about politics and maybe I’ll be able to change Bowling Green and Wood County for the better,’ Redfern said.