This year's midterm elections have sparked enthusiasm among young people across the nation, and many students at Brown have fallen victim to the spreading political bug. Several students are supporting their preferred candidates, with commitment levels that range from full-time summer internships and volunteering during the home stretch to taking this semester off to work on a campaign.
Though each student was drawn to the campaign trail for different reasons, Talia Stein '09 summed up the feelings of many political interns as the end draws near: "I couldn't imagine not seeing it through."
Stein, Arthur Kim '08 and Marc Frank '09 have all maintained some degree of commitment to a campaign this semester. But beyond that similarity, their roles in various campaigns and reasons for joining them have been quite different.
As a full-time intern for the campaign of Pennsylvania Democratic Senate hopeful Bob Casey, the life of Stein, who is currently on leave from the University, features both considerable responsibility and the long workdays that go along with it.
"There is no typical day on a campaign," Stein said. She could begin the day by coordinating volunteers or part-time interns at a campaign event, then return to headquarters to finish a mailing and then work late into the night with the campaign treasurer on compliance issues and Federal Election Commission regulations in regards to donations - an essential part of campaigning that Stein learned on the job.
A Pennsylvania native, Stein said she joined the Casey campaign because she "really hated Rick Santorum," Pennsylvania's incumbent Republican senator. Though she didn't know much about campaigns, Stein got a full-time internship and was soon immersed in the effort to unseat Santorum. As her position allows her considerable time with the candidate, Stein said she has become a true believer in Casey and feels committed to his message and election bid.
"Bob really pulled me in," she said.
Unlike Stein, whose responsibilities change daily, Kim had a consistent role this summer conducting opposition research for the senatorial campaign of Democratic U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn. Kim said his narrow responsibility was "significant" for the campaign, and many of his findings were used in political ads and banners.
Though Ford's campaign has drawn national attention, Kim said he didn't join because of the candidate himself or, like Stein, out of hate for the opposition. Instead, he was interested in electing a black candidate to the U.S. Senate.
"I am very interested in African-American politics and how they work in the South," he said.
Kim left Brown for Nashville this week to spend the seven days preceding the election entirely committed to mailings, phones calls, canvassing and getting every possible Democratic voter to the polls - the not-so-glamorous work that is essential to winning any campaign.
"I am so excited to work 20-hour days," he told The Herald before he left. "This cause is so important. I am willing to sacrifice whatever it takes."
Unlike Kim and Stein, who are working for candidates in their home states, New Jersey native Frank joined the re-election campaign of U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee '75, R-R.I., as an intern once he returned to Brown for the school year. Frank spent the summer working for Republicans in New Jersey, and he obtained his internship on Chafee's campaign through his GOP connection. Frank responded to an e-mail request for Chafee volunteers, and through his own initiative transformed a one-time volunteer opportunity into an internship three days each week this semester. His responsibilities vary from his ongoing assignments "helping the communications director (and) doing research on (Chafee's) opponent Sheldon Whitehouse" to the common tasks of campaigning, such as mailings and data entry.
s"I have always been very interested in politics, and since middle school I have been volunteering in campaigns," he said, adding that he was drawn to this specific race because he "care(s) about who controls the government." When that is at stake, he said, "it makes campaigns more exciting."
Despite these differences, each of the interns said they have enjoyed the camaraderie of campaigning with young people who are as excited about candidates and issues as they are. Stein raved about the staff on her campaign. "They're young, they're fabulous and they are excited. Anything you want to do, let us know and we will make it happen," she said. "Being part of a team can be a really positive feeling. It's nice to get so invested in something."
Though Kim said he saw "a big divide between staffers and interns," he was eager to experience the camaraderie with others who have sacrificed extended time for a campaign.
Each of the interns took advantage of their insider access to candidates and the inner circle of American politics. Stein said working on the campaign enabled her to "get a view of the candidate you would never get watching a debate on television."
The insider benefits awarded to Frank and Kim have included meeting and speaking with several well-known politicians in a small setting. Kim said he met former President Bill Clinton, while Mark spoke with U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on the phone.
For Frank, Stein and Kim, these internships may be just the beginning of potential careers in politics. One recent alum, Iowa native Rob Sand '05.5, is already a campaign manager, running Denise O'Brien's campaign to become Iowa's secretary of agriculture. Her candidacy has taken on increased significance and was featured in the New York Times thanks to her support for progressive agricultural policies such as renewable energy, local food systems and agribusiness reforms.
While at Brown, Sand worked on various campaigns and received a Royce Fellowship to study agricultural issues. O'Brien's campaign, he said, combines his own zeal for politics with his commitment to the candidate herself. He said he was glad to have the "opportunity to be in a position to put forward a lot of my own ideas, and truly have an impact in the outcome of the race."
Less than a year after graduating, Sand said it's not easy working such long hours. But as gratifying as O'Brien's potential win would be, he also realizes there will be much work left to enact the changes he and his candidate hope to see.
"It's incredible when you start to realize how much work goes into making change," he said.
