Smith ’08 Returns to College with Stories from the Campaign Trail
October 22, 2008
On Monday, October 20th, Emmanuel College graduate Adam Smith '08 returned to the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership to share with current students, faculty and staff the real-world adventures he has experienced since graduation. His lecture, titled "Why I Don't Have a Real Job: Stories from the Campaign Trail," documented his journey of hard work and lucky breaks in the world of politics.
After graduating in May with a degree in mathematics and economics, Smith faced the task of deciding what he was going to do in the "real world." After reading a newspaper article about presidential candidate Senator John McCain, the former Student Government Association president--with advice from his uncle, a Republican politician in New York--decided to pursue his interest in politics. Smith set his sights on becoming involved in national politics and his journey began.
During his lecture, Smith explained how he was lucky enough to have been accepted as a volunteer for the Republican National Convention while on a cross-country trip with two fellow Emmanuel graduates. As luck would have it, Smith was given an early work shift, allowing him to attend the convention as a guest during the evening.
"When I tell this story I often refer to myself as the 'lucky guy,'" he said. "For some reason things kept working in my favor."
Following the convention, Smith returned home and traveled to Nashua, N.H. for a McCain rally. On his trip, Smith met a fellow supporter who was able to land him a volunteer position in McCain's New Hampshire campaign headquarters, where Smith has now been working for the past month.
Smith discussed his work with the McCain campaign, detailing his typical duties as a volunteer. On an average day, he contacts McCain supporters through phone calls, travels door-to-door to hand out literature and fields calls from local citizens. Recently, Smith had the opportunity to meet vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as well as McCain's daughter, Meghan.
Smith's lecture was one of a number of election-themed discussions held at the College recently. Professor of Political Science Dr. Marie Natoli discussed the important role of the modern vice president in her lecture "Running Mate: The Role of the Contemporary Vice President" on October 14th in the Janet M. Daley Library Lecture Hall. On October 21st, Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Mission and Spirituality Sister Mary Johnson, SND invited the Emmanuel community to join her in the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership for her presentation titled, "2008 Election: The Catholic Vote." The lecture discussed the concept of a voting block, values that could sway the election, as well as whether or not Catholics will sway this year's election.
