This summer, as students tuned into the news in an attempt to pick their favorite candidate for the upcoming election, other AU students worked feverishly on the campaign trail to answer one question. Will President George W. Bush become a two-term president, or will John Kerry sweep the presidency?
Nick Terzulli, last year's Student Confederation president, spent his summer interning at the Republican National Committee in New York City, specifically for the Committee on Arrangements. The committee is tasked with accommodating politicians attending and arranging the convention. The internship also involved doing preparation work for the Republican National Convention.
According to Terzulli, one of the best parts of his job was working with fellow students from around the country.
Terzulli is no stranger to politics. In addition to his stint as SC president, he also worked on two congressional campaigns. However, he noted that organizing a convention differs greatly from the campaigns he worked on in the past in that there are "so many political and nonpolitical dimensions to running a convention."
He worked more than 10 hours per day and was frequently on the telephone making preparations to ensure the convention's smoothness.
"Everyone worked hard and played hard and that's something I hadn't found at previous internships," Terzulli said. "I think that mentality of a professional-social balance might be helpful down the line." After graduation, Terzulli is considering a career in law.
Ken Biberaj, another former Student Confederation president and recent AU graduate, worked for the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign.
Last year, Biberaj worked in Florida to study the impact of the 2000 election fiasco. He researched how President Bush's policies have impacted various Florida constituencies and worked to inform them of the differences of a Kerry Administration.
"The general atmosphere is very energetic, optimistic and exciting," Biberaj said about the campaign. "The voters in Florida are excited for change."
According to Biberaj, the best part of his job was "the feeling associated with being just a small part of such an incredible and powerful movement to change the direction of this country, and make it better than it is."
He said that Kerry and Edwards "bring an incredible amount of energy and hope that voters have been looking for in the campaign."
Another intern on the other side of the political spectrum was also impressed with the dedication of her candidate's supporters.
Milla Savelieff, a junior in the School of International Service, worked for the RNC Headquarters in Cleveland as an Ethnic Community Liaison for Senator George V. Voinovich.
Her responsibilities included cost research for ethnic newspaper ads, speaking with leaders of ethnic communities and attending ethnic community functions on behalf of her candidate.
Savelieff said she learned the real value and importance of constituent support from this campaign.
"[Voinovich's supporters] really believe in the good work he is doing on the Hill," she said. "I feel honored to be helping in facilitating those actions."
However, Savelieff said a downside of the internship was the time constraint of working an additional job that pays and not being able to work for the RNC as much as she would like. Still, she said she enjoyed interacting with the ethnic constituents and learning about their past experiences.
Although she does not always agree with Senator Voinovich, she said she respects his dedication to his constituency and his willingness "to judge the issue, and not really partake in party politics."
Mike Inganamort, president of the AU College Republicans, also respected his candidate's stance on "the issues."
This summer, Inganamort worked for the 5th Congressional District in New Jersey in an effort to re-elect Republican Congressman Scott Garrett.
He spoke highly of his candidate.
"Scott Garrett is the same person in Washington, D.C. that he is in New Jersey," he said. "The voters know where he stands on the issues, and he doesn't deviate from his principles for political expedience."
Inganamort gathered research and compiled fund-raising data among other things. The high-intensity atmosphere was a setting that Inganamort not only enjoyed, but embraced. Enhanced people skills, work ethic and multitasking abilities are all invaluable talents Inganamort says he gained by working on this campaign.
Looking to the future, Inganamort said his main focus is graduating from AU. Beyond that, Inganamort may have different ambitions after graduation.
"If my work on various campaigns opens doors in the future, I would certainly take advantage of that," he said.
For AU alumnus Andrew Block campaign work has become a job. Block serves as deputy director of Advance for Teresa Heinz Kerry, a job description that entails arriving at campaign destinations before Heinz Kerry and executing proper directions to the Kerry team. Block prepares and coordinates details of events, such as who will attend and when they will arrive. Block also works with the Secret Service to ensure the safety of the Kerry team.
Block said the campaign, whether on the road or at its D.C. headquarters, has been a state of "organized chaos" and that it is "95 percent good and 5 percent bad, but never really that bad."
Block noted how the unprecedented rise of the Kerry campaign has taught him to "never give up." "She's an amazing woman," Block said.
At AU, Block majored in political science and foreign policy, and when asked about where his education and campaign experience will take him in the future, he replied, "That will be decided on Nov. 2."
Corey Atkins is a current student working with similar credentials. A senior this year at AU, Atkins is double majoring in CLEG and political science.
Last summer, he worked on the John Edwards' presidential campaign and followed through with the presidential election this summer by working for the Institute of Politics at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Atkins helped plan, organize and network for the Democratic National Convention.
Atkins said he enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere but admitted that times were hectic.
The perk of this job, according to Atkins, "was the amount of political superstars and big-wigs I got to rub elbows with."
He also learned that "money dominates in these things, and that an effective campaign, whether you like it or not, cannot be waged without lots of it."
He does not deny his own political ambitions after law or graduate school and said, "The main thing for me is being able to say that I made a difference for the better"
