This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oxy chapter.
Name: Emily Strombom
Year: 2014
Hometown: Long Beach, CA
Major: UEP
Campus Activities: Soccer
How did you become involved in the Obama Campaign?
Although I considered working on a Senate race, I ultimately decided I couldn’t pass up the chance to work on a campaign as historic and important as President Obama’s. I knew that Ohio would be one of the most contested states in the election, and I wanted to be at the center of all the action!
What role did you play in the campaign?
I was a Field Organizer in Columbus, and my turf was Ohio State.
What was it like meeting the President?
It was so surreal to finally see him in person! His face completely lit up when I told him I was an Oxy student, and I was amazed by how sincerely he thanked me for coming to work in Ohio. He was incredibly relaxed and friendly, and meeting him was just the inspiration I needed to pour all my remaining energy into the final weeks of the campaign.
What was your favorite memory of Campaign Semester?
One Friday night when the voter registration deadline was approaching, my team and I developed a “party hopping” strategy to get people registered. We wandered the neighborhoods around campus inviting ourselves into every party we could find, and then went person to person registering anyone who hadn’t yet. There were some pretty hilarious reactions to this unconventional method, and although the handwriting on the forms we got while party hopping was a bit sloppier than usual, those registrations counted just the same! Funny how much more approachable college students are at 1 AM on a weekend!
What was the most difficult thing about working on a campaign?
For me it was staying focused on our goal even when I was completely exhausted. It’s tough to keep going when you’ve been knocking on doors for 3 hours at night in the rain, but I just had to remind myself that every voter I spoke with got us one step closer to re-electing the president.
Besides working, what else did you do in Ohio?
I know it sounds impossible, but we literally worked 7 days a week, 16 (or more) hours a day. Luckily we managed to find time time for the occasional ice cream run, or for the girls on the team, 10 minute Urban Outfitters power shopping sessions!
What did you miss about Oxy?
First my friends, then the weather. I never quite mastered the art of layering, and the President even commented on my choice of a sleeveless dress on a fall day in Ohio.
What are you up to now that you’re back on campus?
Now that everyone who participated Campaign Semester is back on campus, we’ve started the second phase of the program. I’m really excited to compare my experiences with those of everyone else who worked on a campaign, and to start working on the campaign case study that we’ll all be turning in at the end of the semester. After spending so long in the field, it will be nice to take a step back and think about the implications of the outcome of this election for the country!
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