Now that the national spotlight has moved off New Hampshire, student campaign leaders are making plans for the future and reflecting on the part they played in the election process in the days, weeks and months leading up to the Granite state primary.
Many of the campus campaign managers -- who have been active on campus since last spring -- said they felt students had made a difference in the outcome of the primaries on Feb. 1.
"I think student participation made an even bigger difference than the student vote itself," said Chris Dreisbach '00, a leading member of George W. Bush campus campaign.
Asserting that students play an important role in the political process, Bob Gienko '01, who is the state chairman for college Republicans groups in New Hampshire, said, "Students provide energy, they provide enthusiasm, and they can provide a real boost to campaigns in general."
Campus campaign leaders also expressed universal appreciation for the opportunity to participate in the American electoral process first hand.
"I loved it from day one right up to the primary," Scott Given '02, director of Bill Bradley's campus campaign, said. "I would do it again without hesitation."
Brian Stults '02, co-coordinator of Dartmouth Students for Vice President Al Gore, echoed Given's sentiments, saying, "It was one of the most rewarding experiences I've had at Dartmouth."
During the last few months, students found a wide variety of reasons to participate in the electoral process, including the opportunity to meet important and influential public figures and the chance to make a difference in the election.
Some also said that they appreciated the chance to engage people in the campaign who might not have participated otherwise.
Most of the student campaign leaders expressed satisfaction with the performance of their candidate in the N.H. primary, especially the coordinator of John McCain's campus organization, Collin O'Mara '01 -- and with due reason.
McCain, who was previously considered an underdog to win in New Hampshire, won the state primary by a margin of 19 percent over his main competitor, Bush.
Several of the student organizers expressed relief that their work has come to an end after a frantic period of activity and many welcomed the opportunity to catch up on schoolwork that had suffered during the campaign, especially as the primary date drew closer.
On a previous occasion, Stults, for example, told The Dartmouth that he was spending an average of about four hours on the campaign every day in the weeks leading up to the primary, in addition to larger blocks of time for canvassing and other special events.
"Honestly, it's kind of nice that it's over right now," Dreisbach said. "I'm just glad all the chaos is over."
Despite the sometimes hectic nature of the campaigns, some campus leaders' experiences have prompted them to become further involved in the electoral process.
O'Mara said he is planning to enter a career in public service on the basis of his experiences with politics during his time at Dartmouth.
Depending on whether his candidate receives the Republican presidential nomination, O'Mara plans to spend time in his home state of New York working on the presidential or congressional race.
Other leaders said they plan to remain involved on campus. All of the group leaders who spoke with The Dartmouth said their organizations will assist in their candidate's campaign in neighboring states such as Vermont and Massachusetts.
