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Historical Witness"It was truly inspiring to see collegestudents shed their traditional apathyand get active." Sffia I';ct'das I-manNick MichaelWorking on the campaign trail"Jane worked hard to tap brir>;) aboutchange in America, and for that weare endlessly grateful, if not at leasta bit jealous." Sq::::h::fn:xe 0"¥1S Ba1yNick MichaelThe fall semester of 2008 was a pivotal period in historywith the dection of a new president. For most srudents.,the amount of acrual involvement in politics was limitedto ralking aoout issues and votingBut sophornore political science and history major Jane Messinatook the semester off from school to hdp with PresidentBarack Obama's political campaign trail."1 \\lorked in a cold small office with no heat and no air 000-ditioning," she said. "There were probably about 25 people in ourroom at one time. I shared my desk widl three other people."Herofficial tide in the campaign was Deputy Field Organizer,and the tab included a wide variety of duties.''] worked seven days a week:, thirteen hours a day," Messinasaid. "1 recruited volunteers. organized the north side ofRichmond, Virginia, knocked on doors, made thousands ofphone calls, entered dara, invited people to events, organizedevents and trained volunteers."Messina was also involved with the faith outreach programfor the campaign."1 was a £"lith community contact, which means that 1 metwith different leaders of faith in Richmond and tried to havethem hold events at their churches," she said. ''1 also spoke at afew churches aoout volunteer opporrunities."Messina said she thought Obama was the perfect CUldidatefor whom she could campaign.''1 have always wanted to \\Q[k on a campaign, and I believedthat [Obama] should be the next president," Messina said. " Iwas doing everything I could to get him elected. 1 believe in hispolicies, and I believe they will work."Messina met Obama severa.! times.'''The firs t rime I met him was in the SUrrll11er of 2007 inHuntsville, Alabama," she said. "He shook my hand, and 1told him 1 was going [0 vote for him, and then we talked aooutbaseball. The amazing thing aoout him was that he was a normalguy. He joked \\lith me and laughed with me."Prior to her campaign work in Richmond, Messina had aninternShip with Arkansas Representative Vic Snyder, which setthe stage for her second Obama encounter.'''The second rime I met [Obama] was in Washington, DCon Capitol Hill this swnmerduringmy intems~" Mess.im said."1 congratulated him because he had JUSt won the democmticnomination. The third rime I saw him was 'when he was in Rich·mond a few weeks before the election holding a rnlly:"Though working for the campaign did not earn her collegecredit, Messina said there were countless benefits.'1leamed more aoout politics on that job than I ever wouldhave in a cIassroom," she said. '1 leamed that politics is nothingwithout people being accive in their rn.vn government and thatit rakes a lot of people and work to get someone decreet It'shard, and it will make you C11~ but the outcome is worth all thelong hours and all the tears."Messina said she also used her time and influence as a wayto shate Christ with odlers."1 had to represent my morals ruld my faith to my C(}-workersthat weren't Christians," she said.She said her most memorable moment of the campaign waswhen Obama was announced as the nation's ne.xc president."On election nigheafter Ohama won, around three thousandsrudems took [to] the Streets of Richmond and started chanting'Yes We Did' and 'Ohama', and they were singing the n:uionalanthem while holding hands," Messina said. ''All different races,genders. se.xual preferences and ages were there holding handsand walking to the Capitol building in Richmond. The cool thingis that Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy, and I wasthere when the firs t black President was dected. It was a hugemoment in history and the most e.xciting moment in my life."Although Messina missed school for a semester, the experience,knowledge and memories she gathered from the campaigntrail would benefit her foe life.Joseph Dickerson128 people~