Lipscomb students hit the big time volunteering at presidential debate in Nashville

Janel Shoun | 

The Oct. 7 debate in Nashville last night involved hundreds of media from all over the world, almost 600 student volunteers, 100 undecided voters, two presidential candidates and four Lipscomb University student volunteers.

Caroline Price meets Sen. John McCain at a
rally prior to the Oct. 7 debate.
The four students served as runners in the media tent and as a sign-holder for the after-debate spokespeople for the John McCain campaign during the local debate held at Belmont University. It sounds humble, but the students saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rub elbows with national media, leaders and see the behind-the-scenes action of a presidential debate.
The students who were among the almost 600 student volunteers were:
  • Caroline Price, a senior communication major from North Augusta, S.C.
  • Trevor Garrett, a junior accounting major from Memphis
  • Allen Burgess, a junior accounting major from Russellville, Ala.
  • Lindsay Miller, a senior art major from Pittsburgh, Penn.

While the candidates appear dapper and calm on stage, the backstage activity is chaotic, said Price, who served as a runner for various foreign media representatives from England, France, Japan, Al Jazeera English and others.

Her job was to take numerous pre-prepared statement sheets out to her assigned media at the appropriate time in the debate. Hundreds of reporters sat at tables inside the media tent.

“We didn’t get to see much of the debate at all because we were running through the whole debate,” she said, noting that the Barack Obama campaign handed out only two statement sheets late in the debate.

Miller and Burgess also served as media runners, but Garrett got to see half the debate in a holding room before his duties began. Towards the end of the debate, he was assigned to hold an identification sign behind McCain campaign manager Steven Schmidt as he was speaking to the media, so everyone would be able to find the person they needed quickly in the crowd.

Trevor Garrett
Allen Burgess
Lindsay Miller
Finding people in the crowd can be tough because both campaigns line up numerous Congresspeople and experts, referred to as “spinners” in campaign lingo, according to Garrett, to comment on the debate immediately after. The experts all line up in the media tent, and media swarm around them, so the signs are needed to identify who is speaking in each knot of people.

This is also the best time for volunteers to get their 15-minutes of fame by strategically placing themselves behind experts who are being interviewed by television crews, a method our Lipscomb volunteers took full advantage of, said Price, who scored a television appearance on Fox News when she stood behind Sean Hannity as he interviewed Obama’s communications officer.

Price was also thrilled to get to meet several national media celebs personally as the volunteers ate dinner in the same area as the media. She was able to get Hannity’s autograph and met Greta Van Sustran and Major Garrett, also from the Fox News network. Price particularly enjoyed hearing the questions the reporters asked the “spinners,” including Sen. Lindsey Graham of her home state.

“The highlight of my night, was meeting the Fox anchors,” said Price, who hopes to become a conservative reporter. “But right up there with it was working for Sen. McCain, who I think is one of the most honorable men in America. It will be neat one day to tell my grandkids, ‘I worked for that man.’”

"Working the debate was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Burgess. "Getting to see and meet senators and members of Congress was a great experience.  Also meeting Hannity and Alan Colmes was great!" 

Garrett, who has done accounting work for Sen. Fred Thompson, also helped coordinate the 15-van McCain motorcade the day before the debate.

“It’s just amazing being inside the whole debate atmosphere,” said Garrett, who hopes to work in campaign management as a career. “I especially enjoyed after the debate when all the senators and economic advisors were there. And all the press, too. We were eating dinner right next to them.”

Price, second vice chairman of the Lipscomb College Republicans, and Garrett, treasurer of the group, plan to continue volunteering for the McCain campaign until the November election. In fact, the College Republicans will hold a phone bank night to support McCain’s campaign this coming Monday, Garrett said.