This summer, IOP sent six Harvard undergraduates to Cleveland, Ohio for the 2016 Republican Nation Convention. Each interned with a different political or journalistic organization, from IJ Review to Snapchat to the RNC Host Committee. Some were in charge of helping document the historic event in full news articles or 10-second Snapchat bursts. Others helped with the operations of the event by managing shops full of merchandise, or transporting senators and members of Congress to media interviews. We asked our students to give us their front-row perspective as participants in the historic convention:

After attending the convention, what will you tell your classmates about this election?

"On college campuses, we are trapped in a bubble in which the people around us largely share our political views. After attending the Republican National Convention, I came back with a better understanding of the state of the Republican Party today and its scope across the country. In order to effectively participate in politics, you cannot choose to engage with only one side of the political spectrum.  Apathy cannot and should not be an option in this election." – Tess Saperstein ‘18

"Young people need to understand that this election presents many new and profound questions for our generation. Will we be a country that engages freely in the world economy, or will we be a country that uses tariffs to prioritize American markets? Does our political system need reforming or revolutionizing? That the implications of these questions will have extraordinary impacts on our generation ought to be all the impetus we need to get involved in this election." – Tyler Parker ‘17 (pictured with Harvard alum Colin Jost)

Conventions are a historic occurrence. How did you feel about participating in this moment?

"More so than the last few cycles, I think young people are more aware of what is happening with this election. I think both campaigns, especially the Republican ticket, need to do more to talk about the issues college-aged voters care about. From IOP's newest millennial polling report, we saw that this voting bloc prioritizes issues differently compared to the larger electorate with issues like social justice, equality, jobs etc topping the list." – Chuyue Zhou, ‘17 (pictured with IOP Board Member Elaine Chao)

What were you most looking forward to seeing or experiencing at the convention?

"I was looking forward to interacting with Republicans across the country, and gathering a sense of how the party will move forward with the rise of Trump. I was also excited about interacting with young Republicans, and contemplating how the party will change in the futue." – Ian Mullane ‘19

What was your favorite part of the week?

"My favorite part of the week was getting to meet a diverse range of political and media figures. From Charles Krauthammer to Mike Huckabee to Nigel Farage to Jonathan Karl, the Convention provided me the opportunity to get to talk to people with incredible experience and insights." – Kent Haeffner ‘19 (pictured above with Mark McKinnon, former IOP Fellow)

"Before the convention kicked off on the third day, Snapchat sent a fellow intern and me to the arena floor to capture the atmosphere. We ran around for 20 minutes, snapping pictures, taking videos, and talking with delegates. It was an electrifying environment - and an electrifying experience!" – Sam Danello ‘ 18