Penn students ready for DNC

When the Democratic National Convention descends upon Philadelphia this summer, Penn will be no stranger to national politics. Penn students have a tradition of involvement in past nomination conventions.

The DNC, whose planning committee launched its Philadelphia operations on Oct. 15, will be one of the largest public events ever held in Philadelphia, with an estimated 50,000 people expected to attend the week-long convention. In the past, Penn students have actively participated in national conventions during election years.

In 2012, a group of students taking “Conventions, Debates, and Campaigns,” a course offered jointly by the Annenberg School for Communication and the Fels Institute of Government, joined The Philadelphia Daily News to cover that year’s Republican and Democratic conventions.

“For any citizen or student of politics, attendance at a national political convention is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will forever change one’s perspective on politics and even influence career choices,” said Annenberg professor David Eisenhower, who co-taught the course, of the trip.

Eight students covered the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., in late August, while a dozen covered the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., the following month.

Eisenhower accompanied students on both trips alongside other members of Penn’s faculty, including Fels professor Marjorie Margolies, Fels executive director David Thornburgh and lecturer and presidential historian Alvin Felzenberg.

The student political group Penn Democrats also worked with the 2012 DNC. DNC Chief Operating Officer Theo LeCompte reached out to the organization with summer and convention internship opportunities during the spring, according to a blog post on the Penn Dems website.

LeCompte returned to Penn earlier this semester to speak to students about the current presidential election cycle.

Although the planning for the 2016 Democratic convention is still in its early stages, Penn student groups are already eager to get involved when opportunities become available.

“We are most certainly getting involved and having members of the committee on campus, but nothing is formalized yet,” said College junior and Penn Dems Political Director Sam Iacobellis. “We hope to secure as many internship and volunteer opportunities for Penn Dems members.”

College sophomore and Penn Students for Bernie co-founder Sarah Figgatt agreed, adding that she hopes the organization will have a solid following before the convention.

Applications for student involvement at the convention don’t open until next semester, Figgatt said.

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