Approximately 20 Hillsdale College students drove to Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., to see Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan at a rally on Oct. 8.
A caravan of five cars travelled east to join the 4,000 people who attended the event. The rally filled the basketball stadium serving as a stage for Ryan and spilled into an overflow room to watch the rally on TVs.
All of the Hillsdale students that went to the rally made it into the arena. Three students got into the VIP section due to their work on Oct. 6, or “Super Saturday,” when they went door to door in Hillsdale County for the Romney-Ryan campaign.
“I went to the rally because I thought it would be very interesting to hear what Paul Ryan had to say about the upcoming election. I thought he presented himself and the Romney-Ryan ticket very well,” sophomore Elena Sakelaris said. “He is a very good speaker, and after going to the rally, watching the [vice presidential] debate was even more interesting.”
Junior Ryan Bolyard, trustee of the College Republicans, orchestrated the trip with the help of senior Katherine Rinaldi and junior Nathan Brand, president of Hillsdale’s Young America’s Foundation chapter
The College Republicans worked with Jordan Hankwitz — the Michigan coalitions coordinator for the Romney campaign — this semester to host campaigning events in Michigan and help get the Hillsdale group into the rally.
“[Hankwitz] told us about this rally during our Super Saturday door knocking,” Bolyard said. “He also said that any of us that knock on 150 plus doors get VIP tickets to the event.”
After Super Saturday, the Hillsdale students had only two days to get the information about the rally around campus.
Emails to the lists of College Republicans and YAF participants were distributed on Sunday afternoon. Bolyard, Rinaldi, and Brand were also able to arrange a last minute table for lunch on Monday to recruit more students for the event.
Within 24 hours, over 30 students responded to the email or signed up at lunch.
Hankwitz was able to receive the Hillsdale students when they arrived at the rally and bring them all in through the VIP entrance, letting them skip a two-and-a-half hour line.
Ryan held the stage for a little over a half hour after being introduced by musician Kid Rock. He spoke on a broad spectrum of
topics, with an emphasis on economic growth, national security, and natural rights.
“Seeing Paul Ryan was such a special opportunity for all of us,” freshman Sarah Onken said. “It was a no-brainer for most of us to drop our school work to go see him. It was particularly awe-inspiring that he took time to speak to us when his debate was just three short days away. That’s dedication. Congressman Ryan is an intelligent, confident, and grounded individual who reassured me that someone in government really does care about my natural rights.”
