Long time no post everyone!
I have decided that since Luke Runyon is now back in the country, my blog has a chance to be comparatively more interesting! This revelation has led to my New Years resolution - being the best blogger I can be. I am at the mid-point of the holiday break, which means that usually I would be getting pretty bored- but my weekend is going to be jam- packed with family get togethers, and next week I start volunteering for my US Congressman, Bill Foster, again. I was an intern with him over the summer, and I thought getting some time in over break would keep me occupied. I am excited to be back with all of my old co-workers for two weeks, but at the same time I am kind of nervous. The world was a simpler place when I was interning over the summer. The economic crisis was not as severe, and Illinois politics were not such a mess. I am sure I will be taking a lot of interesting calls to say the least.
I will keep you all updated, because I am determined to keep this resolution!
+Samantha
Friday, January 2, 2009
Friday, November 21, 2008
A Little Thankful Reflection
Hey guys,
Thanksgiving break officially starts today, so I thought I would take a thankful look back on my week thus far.
Election season has come and gone, I am thankful for the break after! I am also thankful for all the opportunities that have opened up for me through the campaign as well! My candidate did not come out victorious, but hey that is part of the game.
I am thankful for all of my friends here at UIS. Last night we all got together for a homemade thanksgiving feast (pictured above!)! It was amazing, we had the turkey and all the thanksgiving staples to go right along with it! I am also thankful for my friends who assisted me in cooking my dish...because I have no cooking skills what so ever!
I am the co-leader of an AMAZING UIS weekly event entitled, "Wacky Wednesday". The recreation center goes out around campus and just provides opportunities for people to basically have a good time. This week we did Thanksgiving trivia, so that leads me to being thankful for thanksgiving trivia. I had no idea how much there was to know about this holiday! It's not simply history - we have sports, food, and even some good pieces on parades!
Here are some samples of the trivia! I hope you can take these little bits to the dinner table next Thursday and wow the family!
+ Samantha
1. The first Thanksgiving football game was started in 1934 by which team?
A. Pittsburgh Steelers
B.
C. Detroit Lions
D.
2. The first department store to hold a Thanksgiving parade was:
A. Montgomery Wards
B. J.C. Penney’s
C. Gimbles
D. Macy’s
3. Butterball says the best place to put the meat thermometer in the turkey is:
A. Breast
B. Thigh
C. Top of the Leg
D. At an angle so it hits both the meat and the stuffing
4. Which balloon was the first balloon in the 1927 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
A. Mickey Mouse
B. Felix the Cat
C. Betty Boop
D. Superman
Monday, November 3, 2008
Tomorrow is election day!
Hey all,
Tomorrow is election day, and I could not be more excited! I plan on starting out my day around 4:30 am, needless to say lots of caffeine will be flowing!
Today was a pretty sweet day, I had a couple of friends come down to the campaign to volunteer in order to complete an assignment for one of their courses. I have to say that is was really neat assignment, it also created a great situation for me, because volunteers were for sure needed today! I have been pretty impressed by the amount of volunteers that are coming out for the big day, we had a Sangamon County volunteers training session on Sunday evening and there were hundreds of people there. I talked to so many volunteers that feel a close relationship to this election. There were also people of all ages, I made friends with a 7 and a 9 year old who tagged along with thier parents. They asked me if I was a grown up! Due to the fact that I have my own house they deduced that I was indeed a grown up! Even though my two new friends may have thrown me into a quarterlife crisis, I think that it is so cool that they are getting to experience this historic election from the front lines with thier parents. They might not get the significance now, but one day they are going to realize how cool being involved with all of this was.
Ok, I am off to bed, hopefully 6 hours and ton of adrenaline will get me through the day tomorrow!
Have a good one and remember to vote!
+ Samantha
Tomorrow is election day, and I could not be more excited! I plan on starting out my day around 4:30 am, needless to say lots of caffeine will be flowing!
Today was a pretty sweet day, I had a couple of friends come down to the campaign to volunteer in order to complete an assignment for one of their courses. I have to say that is was really neat assignment, it also created a great situation for me, because volunteers were for sure needed today! I have been pretty impressed by the amount of volunteers that are coming out for the big day, we had a Sangamon County volunteers training session on Sunday evening and there were hundreds of people there. I talked to so many volunteers that feel a close relationship to this election. There were also people of all ages, I made friends with a 7 and a 9 year old who tagged along with thier parents. They asked me if I was a grown up! Due to the fact that I have my own house they deduced that I was indeed a grown up! Even though my two new friends may have thrown me into a quarterlife crisis, I think that it is so cool that they are getting to experience this historic election from the front lines with thier parents. They might not get the significance now, but one day they are going to realize how cool being involved with all of this was.
Ok, I am off to bed, hopefully 6 hours and ton of adrenaline will get me through the day tomorrow!
Have a good one and remember to vote!
+ Samantha
Thursday, October 30, 2008
GOTV
Hey guys,
I am once again in my cozy campaign office, getting out the vote (GOTV) for the big day! My candidate has received two pretty sweet endorsements today, one from the State Journal Registrar, Springfield's main newspaper, and also planned parenthood of Illinois. The office is buzzing after getting that news, there is also a great energy due to a lot of volunteer response in our phone banking efforts today. Calling volunteers is always more encouraging than just generally polling people.
On a slightly different note than the campaign, I got two packages in the mail today! Mail is god's gift to college students! My aunt sent me an amazing Halloween care package, stocked with candy and rice crispy treats! Now, the Halloween package was great, but the second package...was the most amazing piece of mail I have ever received. Over the summer I was an intern for a U.S. congressman, and he sent me an official U.S. House of Representative padfolio notebook holder with a sign picture of him and I in it. Completely made my day, week, heck even month!
Ok, my boss just called and I have another list of folks to call to get out the vote!
Have a good one guys!
+ Samantha
I am once again in my cozy campaign office, getting out the vote (GOTV) for the big day! My candidate has received two pretty sweet endorsements today, one from the State Journal Registrar, Springfield's main newspaper, and also planned parenthood of Illinois. The office is buzzing after getting that news, there is also a great energy due to a lot of volunteer response in our phone banking efforts today. Calling volunteers is always more encouraging than just generally polling people.
On a slightly different note than the campaign, I got two packages in the mail today! Mail is god's gift to college students! My aunt sent me an amazing Halloween care package, stocked with candy and rice crispy treats! Now, the Halloween package was great, but the second package...was the most amazing piece of mail I have ever received. Over the summer I was an intern for a U.S. congressman, and he sent me an official U.S. House of Representative padfolio notebook holder with a sign picture of him and I in it. Completely made my day, week, heck even month!
Ok, my boss just called and I have another list of folks to call to get out the vote!
Have a good one guys!
+ Samantha
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
On The Campaign Trail
Hey guys!
It is an insanely busy week to get this blog up and running! I am a volunteer/events coordinator for Colleen Callahan for Congress, so this last week is crunch time in the 18th district! We are calling volunteers and getting our Get Out the Vote plan running at full speed! It's a pretty exciting time to be into politics if I do say so myself!
Last week we had a pretty well attended press conference at the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield. The candidate, Colleen Callahan was addressing her opponent's misconduct as a notary. Before this campaign I had worked solely in federal offices, so seeing larger press conferences is a pretty cool experience. I got to have some some very interesting conversations with Shelia Simon, daughter of the late US Senator from Illinois, Paul Simon. I also had a chance to speak with the Springfield Mayor, Tim Davlin, about how much a Basketball team featuring Barack Obama, Alexi Giannoulias, and Abraham Lincoln would dominate! Gotta love some Illinois politicians!
I am going to try and blog from the campaign headquarters just about everyday up until the election on Nov. 4th to give you guys a little bit of an inside look!
See ya next time!
+ Samantha
Fashionably Late First Post!
Hey guys! I am jumping on the blogger train a bit late due to some technical difficulties! Better late than never though right?
I am going to start off by taking Howard's questionnaire, it will give us all a chance to become a little more acquainted!
1) Why did you choose your major?
I think I was drawn to Political Science ever since I was little due to the area I was raised in along with my parent's political involvement. I have also has some amazing political science professors at UIS that have reinforced my decision.
2) What are your plans post-graduation?
Ah the question every college junior loves to be asked! I have just started the search for Grad Schools, George Washington University is tops, but DePaul also has a policy program that I am looking into. Graduating in '10 gives me the ability to work on a midterm election, so I am thinking that is a possibiltiy too. However, you never know what you will find!
3) What's the last non-textbook you read?
I am current reading Rise of the Vulcans. I'm not a Bush fan, but it's a pretty interesting biography of his foreign policy team.
4) What's the last movie you watched?
It's the week of Halloween so you know I had to go see Saw V! It just a tradition at this point! Following with the Halloween theme of blood and gore, the roomies and I are about to put on the remake of Prom Night.
5) What's the last thing you watched on TV?
I am not a big TV watcher, however I love my West Wing DVDs!
6) What's you favorite thing about being at UIS?
Besides the amazing grilled cheese in the PAC, I am going to have to say that the great people here are my favorite thing. We are such a tight knit community!
7) What's at the top of your iTunes playlist right now?
I went to see Death Cab for Cutie a few weeks ago, so their new CD has pretty much been on repeat since then.
8) What's one guilty pleasure you have?
Dill Dip and Rye Bread from the lovely County Market, you can pretty much see it either in my fridge or on my grocery list ever week!
9) Where's the best place you've ever traveled & why?
I love Boston, I am a city girl with a love of history and sports, so that town does it all for me!
10) Create your own question.
I always love asking people what their theme song would be if their life were made into a television show. My response to this question is usually Alanis Morissette's One Hand in My Pocket, but I heard the Beatles' Good Day Sunshine yesterday, and I might be making a switch.
I feel pretty accomplished with that first post! I will be posting again shortly!
+ Samantha
I am going to start off by taking Howard's questionnaire, it will give us all a chance to become a little more acquainted!
1) Why did you choose your major?
I think I was drawn to Political Science ever since I was little due to the area I was raised in along with my parent's political involvement. I have also has some amazing political science professors at UIS that have reinforced my decision.
2) What are your plans post-graduation?
Ah the question every college junior loves to be asked! I have just started the search for Grad Schools, George Washington University is tops, but DePaul also has a policy program that I am looking into. Graduating in '10 gives me the ability to work on a midterm election, so I am thinking that is a possibiltiy too. However, you never know what you will find!
3) What's the last non-textbook you read?
I am current reading Rise of the Vulcans. I'm not a Bush fan, but it's a pretty interesting biography of his foreign policy team.
4) What's the last movie you watched?
It's the week of Halloween so you know I had to go see Saw V! It just a tradition at this point! Following with the Halloween theme of blood and gore, the roomies and I are about to put on the remake of Prom Night.
5) What's the last thing you watched on TV?
I am not a big TV watcher, however I love my West Wing DVDs!
6) What's you favorite thing about being at UIS?
Besides the amazing grilled cheese in the PAC, I am going to have to say that the great people here are my favorite thing. We are such a tight knit community!
7) What's at the top of your iTunes playlist right now?
I went to see Death Cab for Cutie a few weeks ago, so their new CD has pretty much been on repeat since then.
8) What's one guilty pleasure you have?
Dill Dip and Rye Bread from the lovely County Market, you can pretty much see it either in my fridge or on my grocery list ever week!
9) Where's the best place you've ever traveled & why?
I love Boston, I am a city girl with a love of history and sports, so that town does it all for me!
10) Create your own question.
I always love asking people what their theme song would be if their life were made into a television show. My response to this question is usually Alanis Morissette's One Hand in My Pocket, but I heard the Beatles' Good Day Sunshine yesterday, and I might be making a switch.
I feel pretty accomplished with that first post! I will be posting again shortly!
+ Samantha
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