PEOPLE - 44 SENIOR KATHRYN CHERRY recruits votes for President George W. Bush at acampaign rally inSearcyOct 19. Cherryserved as Bush's campaigndirector for theFirst Congressional District inArkansas during the fall semester. ,c. ROBERSON The alar~ goes off at 5 a.m., and senior Kathryn Cherry rushes to get to the office by 6. She has just a few minutes to gather her thoughts before a conference call with headquarters in Washington, D.C. Later that moming, she delivers a speech to the Republican Women, then heads to a training session to inform volunteers on tactics for the upcoming 72-hour pre-eiection program. Cherry, a public relations major, served as campaign director for the First Congressional District in Arkansas for the George W. Bush presidential campaign. Cherry was faced with daily tasks such as handling complaints, informing media and organizing representatives for every possible event, all to help keep Bush in office after the Nov. 2 election. Cherry said the city she worked Senior plays role in Bush's re-election "I knew it would be ahuge challenge:' K,A;THRYNCHERRY,SENIOR in, Jonesboro, voted Republican for the first time this year; however, the district remained Democratic. As an incentive for her work as director, Cherry also attended the president's inauguration in January. Dr. Jack Shock, associate professor of communication and Cherry's academic adviser, said this opportunity could only help Cherry's growth in the professional world. "Working on a campaign is an obvious stepping stone to a position in a political situation, whether that may be working for the governor, on Capitol Hill or in the White House," Shock said. Through a 2003 internship working for Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's communication team, Cherry met several people who thought that she would be perfect for the campaign job. "When 1interviewed for the [campaign director] position, I really didn't think I was going to actually get an offer," Cherry said. "When 1 found out, 1was a little hesitant. [I would be working in] the most Democratic district in Arkansas. I knew it would be a huge challenge." But after her experiences working with the governor and with the election campaign, Cherry said she would continue working in the political world. "I love doing what I do," Cherry said. "I love having a problem then implementing a plan to fix it and watching everything corne together in the end." -BETHANYVENKATESAN
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