Penn College Republicans disappointed by Katz loss

After an exhausting day of campaigning for mayoral challenger Sam Katz, Penn's College Republicans -- along with roughly 200 other students -- traveled to the Radisson Plaza Warwick Hotel in Center City to unwind with the Katz campaign and await the final outcome of the election yesterday.

Despite Katz's loss to incumbent Mayor John Street, the College Republicans were excited about the work they had accomplished that day.

They began their final campaign effort at midnight Monday, posting signs until sunrise, then spent the rest of the day volunteering at the polls, knocking on doors and canvassing the city streets, encouraging constituents to go to the polls to vote for Katz.

Before it became apparent that Katz would be defeated, College sophomore Julie Blinbaum enthusiastically described her whirlwind day, which involved doing everything she could to promote the candidate.

Blinbaum, who is the director of outreach for the College Republicans, said that the most rewarding part of her day was "being able to educate people about politics and allowing them to make educated decisions, not just decisions based on race."

College freshman Marco Cerino, a member of College Republicans and a Katz volunteer, said his experience throughout the campaign was "one of the most unique and exciting things I've done in a while."

As news of a probable Street victory rolled in, David Copley, a Wharton junior and state chairman for the Pennsylvania College Republicans, said he was disappointed about Katz's loss.

"He had a clear vision to make the necessary reforms for the City of Philadelphia," Copley said. "I'm a little concerned those reforms won't get done."

Still, Copley added that he was proud of the College Republicans, who ran "the most active grassroots campaign that anyone at the University of Pennsylvania has ever run."

Blinbaum agreed that the College Republicans were successful in creating a stir on campus, saying that "the campus is so united for Katz, that I didn't see many Street ads. Party affiliation didn't really play a role on campus."

However, it became clear early in the evening that their efforts did not correlate to success in the city at large.

When Katz emerged at the scene and conceded the race at nearly 11:30 p.m., the College Republicans were crestfallen, but maintained their positive attitude.

"It was very honorable," said Rushil Rao, a College junior and secretary of the College Republicans, of Katz's speech, noting that he was very polite and chose not to attack Street. "It shows he really cares about the city and our future."

College junior Alyssa Beaver, who has worked at Katz's 15th Board campaign office in Fairmont Park for the past two months, was dismayed by the outcome, but not by her recent experiences.

Beaver, a former Daily Pennsylvanian staff member, described her emotions yesterday as "very different, ranging from a state of pure adrenaline rush to pure concentration and determination," as she worked for nearly 24 hours straight to coordinate a group of volunteers who knocked on doors in the 15th Board area.

"I have never learned so much about running a campaign,"she said, noting that her experiences cannot be replicated in a classroom. "I can't help but be proud of the effort put forth."

Rao agreed, saying that "a lot of times when you fight for something, you get more out of it when you don't know if you will win."

"It's the journey that counts."

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