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Tag: Campaigns

Campaigning 101: Eyes on the Prize

Our last day at Bootcamp, and it is our biggest day.  We do some final preparations, hear a couple of more presentations from experts, and–the big item on the agenda–give our presentations.

We started immediately upon arrival by working with our groups. Teams were fighting leftover fatigue from the late session the day before. Groups were on the edge, because the deadline to turn in presentations seemed to draw nearer a lot sooner than the students would have liked. Our job was to present before the “Texas Campaign Commission,” a judging panel composed of experts from all aspects of campaigning.  Knowing that you are going to put your product before the eyes of experts is a sobering prospect, but it also pushed us to go over things as many times as it took to make it right.

This did not mean, however, that we could just zone out and wait for presentation time.  We still had presentations by experts to attend!  One such presentation was by Barbara Johnson, the Career Advisor for Moody College, who captured our attention with her lesson on “tailoring your resume.”  While much of the material consisted of things we knew, she did provide us with helpful information.  Several things stood out:

  • Once you arrive at college, she recommends omitting your high-school work; Our advisor, Professor Mike Yawn, suggested that that was a good goal, but that many students, depending on the quality of their high-school work, could allow it to carry over for a year into college;
  • Tailor each resume to the job for which you are applying.  Identify the 3-4 skills most needed in the job description and emphasize those in your resume;
  • In some cases, organizational work can be used under “experience.”  That is, experience does not have to be relegated to just employment opportunities.

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Our session on campaign law and civics was just as rewarding. Campaigning doesn’t fit into a lot of types of business practices, but there are still rules and regulations. Compliance is not only the right thing to do, but it helps prevent the loss of votes because suspicion of fraud will hamper your campaign. Susan Nold and Ross Peavey lectured us about certain laws and having good ethical leadership in the political world.  Mr. Peavey advised candidates to know the law or hire someone who did. He gave us examples of laws that could slip through the cracks, and end up damaging your name as a candidate. While we ate our lunch Ms. Susan Nold, Director of The Annette Strauss Institute, gave us ethical scenarios that were created by the speakers.

Peavey_Nold_Speaking_Web

She added that these scenarios were real experiences the speakers had encountered in certain political jobs. Her biggest message was that if it feels wrong, and someone is asking you not to tell anyone, the best decision is to resign. It was interesting to hear what everyone had to say. The best part was listening to people’s opinions and their ideas about how to go about solving the ethical dilemmas.

As my adrenaline started flowing, Taylor Foody prompted us to begin. The time had come to actually present in front of professionals in the campaign field. The nerves kicked in, but all the preparation and hard work led us to this point!

We presented information about our campaign, with each student discussing a different topic: budgeting for a campaign, recruiting and keeping volunteers, a fundraising plan, and a communication plan.

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There were a couple bumps in the road.  For example, we had saved all of our demographic numbers pertaining to votes on google docs, but they were apparently not saved correctly.

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Thus when it was Brian’s turn to speak, no numbers came up!

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Fortunately, he knew the numbers, and was able to relay the information orally.  Afterward, he told us that he “crying in the back of my head.”

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Following the presentation, the judges gave  us feedback and complimented the groups on our hard work.  They helped us improve our skills and keep a realistic approach on campaigning. Thank you to Matt Glazer, Luke Marchant, Cliff Walker, Taylor Holden, and Taylor Foody for helping us build our campaign skill set and encouraging us to keep advancing in our careers.

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The toughest, restless work of this weekend had been finished. We all gathered for one last time to listen to closing remarks provided by Taylor Holden and Cliff Walker on how to improve on our skills to ultimately pursue a career based on what we had learned throughout the bootcamp. Furthermore, they shared their experience of how they began their careers and, as Mr. Walker noted, we should not consider “a job too small or too big.”

Our final activity of the day was the award presentations.  Taylor Foody, the Coordinator for the New Politics Forum Boot Camp, was the presenter.  And, this being her first time to oversee the Boot Camp, she was as excited as all of us.

As it turned out, Isabela’s team was recognized for their “Communication Strategy,” and Brian’s team was recognized for their “Get out the Vote” strategy.

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With two of the three SHSU students taking home hardware (or, paper certificates), we were pretty happy.  But apart from being recognized, we were more happy just to learn from the process and meet new people.

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After thanking Taylor Foody for her dedicated efforts , we headed over to The Clay Pit. The Indian cuisine restaurant provided a comfortable venue to relax and dine on new, eccentric dishes. These included a flavorful goat saag and lamb roganjosh complemented by comforting piquant jalapeño naan and ending with a sweet Gulab Jamun (deep fried pastries soaked in syrup) and Gajjar Halwa (a spiced carrot puree with vanilla ice cream).

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With a very satisfying dinner we boasted with an air of accomplishment for finishing the NPF campaign bootcamp.

Author mikeyawnPosted on May 31, 2016Categories Civic Engagement, Politics, TravelTags Annette Straus, Campaigns, LEAP, Luke Marchant, Matt Glazer, NPF, SHSULeave a comment on Campaigning 101: Eyes on the Prize

Learning About Campaigns: Blockwalking

Most students enjoy sleeping in on Saturday mornings, but the LEAP students were more than willing to spend their Saturday morning learning about campaigns. It was an interesting educational experience, combining hands-on learning with exposure to campaign volunteers, staff, and even a US Congressman, all willing to share their knowledge.

One of the staples of campaign life is to feed your volunteers, and Congressman Kevin Brady did so enthusiastically.  In fact, we kicked the morning off at The Black Walnut Cafe where we enjoyed coffee, kolaches, breakfast tacos and mingling.  Congressman Brady, who joined us in the walk, offered a pep talk; Francine Stanfield, his campaign director, made sure we were comfortable; and Kory Curtis, an analyst for Brady’s campaign, showed us the ropes.

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With a map, a clip board and a lot of enthusiasm, the block-walking teams set off to their assigned neighborhoods.  It was a great experience, especially for a group of Political Science majors.

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The initial results were encouraging, with many opening doors, welcoming us, and thanking us for information about Congressman Brady.  This helped us build confidence.

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The experience also taught us the importance of the communication process between voters and elected representatives.  Block walking, town forums, and district presence are all an important part of learning about the concerns of voters–directly from the voters.

In canvassing the other student volunteers (who had gone in tandem in different directions), they had a similar response.  Some of the introverts indicated they wouldn’t want to do this every week, but the extroverts were energized by the process.  All of us learned a lot, from the voters, from Congressman Brady, and from the campaign staff.   It was particularly educational for one of our high-school volunteers, Ryan Brim, who is an introvert but is exploring career options and community engagement.

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Beatriz Martinez, who block-walked last week as well, enjoyed spending additional time with Congressman Brady.

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She had actually never met a US Congressman.  Megan also enjoyed spending time with Congressman Brady, and this is probably her fourth or fifth time at one of his events.

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Kaitlyn Tyra, an Accounting Major, enjoyed learning more about campaigns from the staff.  I enjoyed these things, too, but also enjoyed seeing how campaigns play out on the ground.

We all also appreciated the lunch provided.  Walking builds an appetite, and we were able to relax again for lunch at the Black Walnut, where we enjoyed burgers and other comfort foods, as well as the closing remarks from Congressman Brady expressing his appreciation.

Brady_Group_Picture

One of the great things about being a POLS major or, more generally, a student is SHSU, is that our learning takes place inside and outside of the classroom.  Another great thing is that so much of our learning is fun.  Today was a great example of both of these qualities.

The LEAP Center Ambassadors are a non-partisan group. Individual Ambassadors make their own choices regarding volunteerism or work.  Past and present Ambassadors have worked for Representative Senfronia Thompson (D), Representative John Otto (R), Mayor Anise Parker (D), US Congressman Kevin Brady (R), Senator Mary Landrieu (D), and many other members of both parties.

 

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on January 28, 2016Categories Civic Engagement, Politics, VolunteerTags Campaigns, Congressman Kevin Brady, LEAP, Politics, SHSU, The WoodlandsLeave a comment on Learning About Campaigns: Blockwalking

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  • An Evening South of the Border, with the World Affairs Council July 1, 2022
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