Two Texas State University Political Science majors have been selected to represent the university at the Washington Center’s National Convention Seminars in Summer 2020. Maria Bego Contreras will represent the university at the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Milwaukee and Zachary Poston will represent it at the Republican Convention in Charlotte.
At the seminars, the students will be part of briefings and panel discussions designed to involve them in the exciting daily business of the conventions. Contreras listed the “real life experiences” and “real life perspective” on which the convention seminars pride themselves as the chief reason for her applying. Meetings with media members, campaign professionals, and political party leaders will allow the students to interact with and learn from the people both on- and behind-the-scenes. More than in-class or case studies, Poston hopes that the seminars will give the students the chance to clarify “the differences” within each party. From security to campaign logistics, the students will navigate the conventions’ real fieldwork with the guidance of experienced faculty and subject experts. They will also have a placement within one specific aspect of the convention business, gaining even more hands-on experience with the political world.
In the fall, the returning students also look forward to being able to share their experiences with the student body at an Honors College forum. Poston expects that “the dynamics between the constituents and the coalitions and the candidates will be hard to miss,” and writes that he is eager to witness the process in-person and share his experiences. Contreras too hopes that the convention seminar will stir up “a better understanding of the political arena and the many factors that come into play” in party conventions. The theme of access to and familiarity with our political traditions runs high in the hopes of Contreras and Poston and is central to the Washington Center’s goals.
