Every two years during midterm and presidential elections, Occidental offers the Campaign Semester program to all students. Since its establishment in 2008, Campaign Semester has given students the opportunity to work on a political campaign in any swing race across the country. After spending 10 weeks working for a campaign, students return to reflect on their experiences in a seminar class with the founders of Campaign Semester — Professor of Politics Regina Freer and E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and Urban & Environmental Policy Peter Dreier.
Dreier said he dropped out of college to work on Robert F. Kennedy Sr.’s 1968 presidential campaign, but he wanted students to be able to work for a campaign without it interfering with their education. Dreier said that in 2008, many Occidental students wanted to work for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign without dropping out or taking the semester off.
“I talked to the Dean of Students at the time, [Dean Eric Frank],” Dreier said. “Then I talked to Professor Freer, my colleague in the policy department. And I said, ‘Why don’t we do something like a study abroad program where the students can go work a campaign anywhere in the country?’”
Since the first Campaign Semester when students departed to work for Obama’s 2008 campaign, Dreier said there have been roughly between 12–35 students in any given election year who participate.
“We have more during presidential years than midterm years because presidential years get people more excited,” Dreier said.
This year, there are 23 students across 15 different states participating in Campaign Semester. Dreier said the students are placed solely in swing races to understand the true competitive nature of politics.
“You get to see politics a lot better up close and personal if it’s a very competitive race,” Dreier said. “You can read about it in a book, you can talk about it in a classroom […] but once you’ve done it, you have a level of understanding about how politics works that is just so different and unique.”
Lucy Toft (sophomore) said she was assigned to work as a field organizer for Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s reelection campaign, the last of the 2024 Campaign Semester cohort to be assigned to a campaign. She said after she applied to work for Perez in July, she began working in Vancouver just one week after being hired.
“What I’m assigned to do is handle volunteers and recruit volunteers for our canvas launches,” Toft said. “The field involves getting the word out, making sure that people know who their candidates are, talking to voters, talking to volunteers and increasing our support base.”
Canvassing involves knocking on people’s doors and providing details about a campaign. Toft said the campaign team is in their persuasion phase of canvassing — persuading voters why voting for Perez is the best thing for their community and district.
“We have to make sure that everyone’s showing up [and] making sure that we’re using persuasive language so that they come to our launches,” Toft said.
Toft said she is the youngest of the campaign managing team, working alongside media staff, the political director, the finance team and the campaign manager.
“Because I’m so young, people wanted to help me out,” said Toft. “When people on my team saw that I was curious and open to learning more, they were willing to help me.”
Toft said she has expanded her political knowledge and learned how to use persuasive language when recruiting volunteers.
Lelia Pedersen (junior) said she is currently working as a field organizer for Representative Angie Craig of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota’s second congressional district. Pedersen said Campaign Semester has taught her skills that she would not have been able to learn in a classroom.
“I really don’t think there’s anything that can prepare you to just knock on someone’s door and ask them about their beliefs and if they support your candidate,” Pedersen said. “I feel like I know the theory behind campaigns, but there wasn’t anything I could have done in class that would have truly taught me how to talk to voters.”
Pedersen said there are challenges that come with working with diverse political opinions in a swing state.
“Oftentimes, I’m talking to people across a broad political spectrum,” Pedersen said. “I walk into all conversations assuming that somebody doesn’t necessarily always want to talk to me, but there is something that we can share in common. Most folks don’t want to talk about politics with me and that’s to be expected, but it has surprised me what people are willing to discuss and what they share.”
Pedersen said committing to Campaign Semester can be a daunting task.
“It’s a big ask, moving to this place you’ve probably never been before, working with people on a job you don’t fully understand,” Pedersen said.
Despite those challenges, Pedersen said Campaign Semester has given her rewarding professional experiences and lifelong connections.
“This is such a formative experience and these people are people that I’m going to know for the rest of my life,” said Pedersen.
Contact Amelia Gehlhaus and Ellie von Brachel at gehlhaus@oxy.edu and vonbrachel@oxy.edu