When the Republican National Convention came to Minneapolis-St. Paul, it created a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Bethel students with an interest in politics to get hands-on experience.

Bethel senior Molly Porter is interning with the Minneapolis-Saint Paul 2008 Host Committee for the Republican National Convention (RNC). The host committee is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding area.

“It's been really exciting to be a part of a national political event and getting to represent Minneapolis-Saint Paul,” says Porter, whose responsibilities have included contacting hotels or local businesses to arrange for delegate services, sending out mailings, assisting with press conferences, and collecting and organizing news clips about the Host Committee and events around Minneapolis-Saint Paul pertaining to the RNC.

Junior Cody Holliday, chair of Bethel’s College Republicans, was interviewed shortly before the convention for a Star Tribune article titled “Grand Young Party.”

“I didn’t become a Republican because, you know, I liked an elephant better than a donkey,” Holliday told the Star Tribune. “I looked at the issues, and I have an opinion on those issues, and it just so happens the Republicans share those same opinions.”

Bethel students of all political stripes are keeping a close eye on the election, and campus events are being planned this fall to help students think through how their faith informs their politics. Watch for an article in the fall Focus magazine on how Christians, regardless of their political leanings, can engage in politics in a way that reflects for Christ.