He ran on the issue of “safe fun” when campaigning nearly three decades ago to become the student government president at West Liberty State College.
That was during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 academic years and the annual Homecoming Dance was held in downtown Wheeling. So, his first campaign platform was to bring the event to campus so he and his fellow students weren’t forced to travel on the rural roads of Ohio County.
“It was a long time ago, but in a way, it feels like it was yesterday, too,” Ennis said. “It was a lot of fun for me to be involved the way I was with student government, and it was a great way for me to build my resume at the time. Plus, there were some things that I wanted to help change, and that’s what we did.
“One example was the Homecoming dances we had back then down at what was known then as the Civic Center,” he recalled. “A lot of people felt that we could change venues for a better atmosphere, so that’s what we did. I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it was for the college kids that wanted to make Homecoming a more personal experience, and I think that’s what we accomplished.”
Year No. 2?
Well, his campaign promise was to fight for an on-campus beach volleyball court.
“There were a number of students back then that supported the construction of a beach volleyball court over the hill from the Student Union near where the Campbell Science Building is now, and it was a lot of fun once it was completed,” Ennis remembered. “It’s not there now because of the construction that’s taken place on campus since then, but that was something else we got done.
“My thought at the time was that we wanted to have a lot of fun while we were in college, so why not make it safer? Keeping our students closer to campus just seemed to make sense,” he explained. “That’s why we moved to the dance to campus, had the beach volleyball court installed, and had live concerts on campus, too.”
His college campaigns, though, were not as complex as his primary run in the 4th House District.
“Back then, I grabbed a couple of my old sheets from my dorm room and I spray painted on them my name and my little logo and then hung those sheets out of my dorm window,” Ennis remembered. “I got candy bars to pass out in front of the Student Union, and that way I was able to talk with a lot of students back then. So, I guess we were doing the same things back then that we do now during a campaign, but there’s a lot more to it now.
“The radio commercials, the videos, going to all of the events; it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed meeting so many people in the county,” he said. “But the issues are far important than a dance and a volleyball court, that’s for sure.”
Then and Now
Instead of dance venues and sandy recreation, the issues facing Ennis now as someone hoping to represent the 4th District involve the economy, infrastructure, public education, tourism, and West Virginia families.
“It’s definitely different now,” he said. “But it’s also the same in some ways because one of the first lessons I learned in college about running for that office was that I wasn’t always right just because I was the candidate. I had to learn from the other students back then just like I’ve learned from the (potential) constituents now,” he explained. “Back then, maybe the big issue was to have a beach volleyball court so the students could stay close to campus, but now the biggest issue is trying to give families reasons to stay here.
“Ohio County is a special little area. We have a lot to offer,” the Republican candidate insisted. “I want to be the voice for our community in Charleston, and I want to protect the special things that we do have in our community. Communities are built by families, and I’m a family guy. I’m an Ohio County resident who is a blue-collar guy who also owns a business, so I think I have a fair approach and a balanced voice that will help me fulfill the Delegate role in Charleston next year.”
His knock-and-talk efforts, Ennis admitted, have been impeded by track meets and other after-school events, but he’s still done his best to meet as many could-be constituents as possible.
“It was about building relationships then, and it’s the same today,” he said. “Now that I’ve been running a primary campaign for a couple of months, I can say there are a lot similarities between what I did back then to what I’ve been doing this spring.
“I connected with people then like I am now, and I’ve learned a lot because people are going to have different opinions and different outlooks,” Ennis added. “In college, running for student government president may have been able building my resume, but now it’s more about my kids being able to live close so, if and when they make me a grandfather, they’re here instead of having to move away.”
(Paid for by the Committee to Elect Derek Ennis)
