In what has been an unconventional election year, the 2016 Democratic National Convention proved to be an historic and exciting convention that culminated in the nomination of Hillary Clinton for President of the United States, the first women to be nominated by a major party for that role. To take part in this historic convention week, the Institute of Politics sent 10 undergraduates to Philadelphia, PA to intern with various organizations throughout the convention week. Students interned with the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, Democratic National Committee, Hillary for America, Snapchat, and more.
These four-day convention internships provided students with the unique opportunity to not only witness history unfold first-hand, but also take part in the exciting work that these organizations do throughout the convention week. And because it was sure to be a momentous event, we captured the thoughts and reactions of our interns by posing a “question of the day” each day of the convention. Listed below are our students' thoughtful and sometimes surprising answers :
What are you most looking forward to at the convention this week?
“I’m looking forward to experiencing the general atmosphere of the Democratic National Convention, and hearing all of the amazing speakers that will take the stage over the four days. The two speakers that I am most excited about is President Obama and the classy FLOTUS Michelle Obama!”— Melvin Woo ‘19
“It will be a truly once-in-a-lifetime chance to report on the ground while witnessing a historical event—the confirmation of the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. party. I am also looking forward to using this experience to further the Harvard Political Review’s goal of utilizing multimedia as a medium to connect with our readers and to innovate the way we approach reporting.” — Joe Choe ‘17
What is your role at the convention?
“I am working with snapchat to help develop their news stories for the convention. That involves going around to different events, speakers, and protests, which I then film and upload.” — Matthew Disler ‘16
“I'm working with the Transportation Team for the HRC Campaign. In the mornings, I usually help pass out credentials, and run errands between our offices in downtown Philly. At the convention, I work at the security tents to help direct Clinton's top donors to our events. On Sunday, I helped staff the DNC welcome reception with John Podesta, and tonight, I'll be staffing the event honoring Bill Clinton at Reading Terminal Market. I'm so excited to see what the rest of the week brings!” — Jenny Li ‘19
“As a Hillary for America Finance intern at the Convention, I have been assisting VIP donors with hotel reservations, credentials, and other requests. I will also be staffing post-gavel HFA and DNC events.” — Michael Kikukawa ‘17
What has been the biggest surprise at the convention?
“I did not realize how comprehensive the role of a delegate really is! The convention really revolves around them -- when the floor was at capacity anticipating VPOTUS', our future VPOTUS', and POTUS' speeches, they were the only ones allowed in and out, alongside press, having priority over even special guests.” — Osaremen Okolo ‘17
“The biggest surprise for me at the convention was actually at the IOP Millenial Event. During the event, one girl had stated how she would not be exercising her right to vote during the elections because she did not have any candidate that she trusts. I was really shocked because I had not personally met someone who was around my age who did not want to vote. Now I am more aware of the need to raise awareness about the need to vote during this election and beyond.” — Karishma Shah ‘17
What did you observe about young people at the convention?
“I found the young people at the convention to be very excited but also very serious in a way I didn’t expect. It seemed that older participants were more relaxed—either used to the hype having attended other conventions or used to such occasions. For young people I believe it was a mix of excitement at seeing all these amazing people from the President to Senators and House Reps to the Delegates, but also wanting to really listen in on the convention, take in everything around them, and not miss a single moment.”— Courtney Okwara ‘18
“More than anything, I observed just how vital young people are to the convention. Not only were many of the volunteers I saw and interacted with young people, even some of the delegates were between the ages of 18-29. It was refreshing to see that there are people my age trying to involve themselves in the political process in some way, even if does simply mean volunteering.” — Marcus Granderson ‘18