Volunteers At The Democratic National Convention
By Austin Campbell

For the past year and a half Denver, Colorado has been preparing for the Democratic National Convention ("DNC"). Although, we have heard names like Reverend Leah D. Daughtry, the CEO of the 2008 Democratic National Convention; Colorado Governor Bill Ritter; and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, as important DNC leaders, we must realize that a celebration of this size cannot take place without volunteers.

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting in our home, Spencer Hardwick, one of the DNC Host Committee volunteers. Spencer, a Harvard University sophomore student majoring in government and business administration, traveled from Boston to Denver with the hope of being part of the DNC and to learn more about the political process. Spencer first met Sen. Barack Obama when he was at an event in Chicago, Illinois. "I was immediately impressed with his leadership and ability to relate to young people," said Spencer about Sen. Obama.

As a DNC volunteer, Spencer's duties include organizing the transportation of movie stars and convention delegates. Some of the singers he is responsible for include Stephanie Mills and Boys II Men. I watched as Spencer would wakeat 6:00 a.m., leave our house early and not return home until, sometimes, at 11:00 p.m. Spencer worked hard to make sure his volunteer job was done right. At times, he received calls early in the mornings and late at night. For a volunteer Spencer had a lot of responsibility! Although he has put in a lot of hours Spencer told me that he has been able to meet delegates and famous people throughout this process.

When I asked Spencer what he thinks kids should know about the DNC,he said, "even though kids can not vote they should still get involved with politics."Over the next week in Denver, pay close attention to the DNC and know that there are a lot of people like Spencer Hardwick who have given their time to make the DNC possible.