Students become politically active

As an institution of higher learning, Johns Hopkins has always had a strong ability to use curriculum and school-sponsored events to encourage in its student body a deep interest in political affairs. With Election Day looming, this aspect of Hopkins life gains added significance.

To the school's credit, several members of its student body are looking forward to that day with mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety. Hopkins students with mixed political loyalties from all parts of the country volunteered their time this summer to help politicians win various regional and national posts. Six in particular have provided an account of their responsibilities on the campaign trail as well as their reasons for volunteering and the lessons they learned from it.

Senior Ryan Leggio spent much of his summer on an election that should be of particular interest to all Hopkins students and faculty. As Political Director of the Baltimore Area College Republicans, Leggio spent a lot of time on the campaign to elect Maryland's United States Congressman Robert Ehrlich to be the state's next governor. As someone who has volunteered in several elections in his home state of California, the responsibilities of campaigning were nothing new to this student. His primary task this summer was to organize attendance at various campaign events. Most recently, Leggio worked in close contact with the Johns Hopkins College Republicans to arrange for Hopkins alumnus and Republican Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Michael Steele to speak on campus.

Sophomore political science major Eric Wolkoff spent his summer in his home state of Massachusetts working on the campaign of another Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mitt Romney. As this was his first campaign, Wolkoff, a self-proclaimed politics fan and loyal Republican, fervently threw himself into every possible aspect of the contest. In addition to performing routine administrative tasks like aiding campaign office management and working the phones, he conducted a significant amount of policy research and helped plan various fund-raisers, rallies and press conferences.

In addition to several governor races across the country, the summer of 2002 was important in that it signaled the start of the fight for midterm elections to the United States Congress. Due to various developments in American domestic politics, all sources indicate that this year's midterm elections should prove to be some of the most closely watched in recent history. With the Democrats commanding the Senate by one vote and the Republicans enjoying firm, but not ironclad, control of the House of Representatives, both parties have a tremendous amount to gain in next week's elections. Several Hopkins students lent their time this summer to insure that this balance would be tipped toward their favored side.

Junior Political Science student Christopher Tallent went back to his home state of Oklahoma to work on the Democratic Senate campaign of former governor David Walters. Spending most of his time with the campaign manager, Tallent accompanied Walters to different events, made calls to contributors and attended rallies across the state. Occasionally, he would give a speech at these rallies urging Oklahoma voters to select Walters as their enator.

Another junior, computer science major Praveen Kankanala, returned to New Mexico this summer to help get Republican Steve Pearce elected to the Second Congressional seat in the House of Representatives. Kankanala noted that his primary responsibilities involved typical office work, data entry and facilitating mass mailings to voters. He was also frequently able to leave the office and fly Pearce to various campaign events at which he would take notes for the candidate.

While not working for any particular candidate, two other Hopkins students worked this summer to help elect Democrats across the country to positions in the House of Representatives. Junior international relations student David Klein and senior political science major Michelle Fenster both spent the summer working on Capitol Hill for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Klein spent his time in the Opposition Research Department, in which he aided the Democrats' cause by doing fact-checking at the Library of Congress and various Congressional offices. He also conducted original research that he used to compile briefing books on specific races and candidates.

Fenster volunteered in the Press Office of the DCCC assisting the Communications Director in organizing daily national and regional news packets, conducting research, and writing press releases and a daily campaign news wire that was released to reporters and congressional campaigns.

Each of these students expressed varying reasons for their getting involved in these different campaigns. Not surprisingly, their motives for volunteering translated into the lessons they learned from their experience.

Leggio credits Mr. Steele with getting him interested in the state's gubernatorial election.

"Since many students, like me, attend Hopkins from out-of-state," said the California native, "It is sometimes difficult to get ? involved in Maryland politics." After meeting Mr. Steele this summer at a national Young Republicans' convention, Leggio was convinced to join the party's cause in Maryland. In doing so, he noted that his experience taught him a valuable lesson in youth involvement.

Other students expressed the desire to further their own philosophical beliefs by aiding candidates in election. In this vein, Klein succinctly summed up the reasons for his own involvement.

"I strongly believe," asserted Klein, "that it is vitally important to our country's future that the Democrats regain the majority in the House of Representatives. I'm concerned with the [Republican] agenda and what it will do to the education, social security and prescription drug coverage in America."

Tallent echoed this sentiment, stating that by volunteering, "I wanted to help my state and my country to be a better place by getting Democrats elected."

On the other side of the aisle, Wolkoff cited his "belief in Romney as a leader" as well as the gubernatorial hopeful's philosophy on government as reasons for his volunteering.

"Mitt's moderate views are conducive with my own and I am committed to all of his positions," stated Wolkoff.

Of all the lessons learned by each of these politically-minded students, Klein summed it up the best.

"Government and politics can do so much to help so many people," he intoned. "You just have to be passionate and involved and if you are, then one person can really make a huge difference."