Eighteen students in the course 鈥淧residential Campaign Rhetoric” have been going full tilt on a mock White House campaign since September.
And today, Oct. 25, full tilt becomes warp speed as the Republican and Democratic campaigns face what’s known in politics as an October surprise.
8:28 a.m. 鈥� It鈥檚 a crisis! (Well, not really)
Associate Professor of Rhetoric Stephanie Kelley-Romano steps to the lectern in a first-floor Pettigrew Hall lounge and gets right to the point.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e being brought into a crisis that鈥檚 international in scope,鈥� she tells the students seated before her. 鈥淎nd you鈥檙e being brought into the loop because it鈥檚 your job to help communicate the crisis, announce a plan to deal with it, and to calm the public.鈥�
That鈥檚 not your average class assignment. Then again, Presidential Campaign Rhetoric isn鈥檛 your average course.
Associate Professor of Rhetoric Stephanie Kelley-Romano announces the (not real) smallpox outbreak. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
8:32 a.m. 鈥� And the campaign is on!
Each campaign has already developed biographies and platforms, the Dems offering 鈥淧rogress We Can Count On鈥� and the Republicans, 鈥淭he Future We Deserve.鈥�
They鈥檝e held conventions, deployed candidate videos, held debates, used polling data collected by a sociology course, consulted with a music course on campaign music, reacted to attack ads, and, today, have to face a crisis.
All that has drawn in hundreds of other students: 鈥渧oters,鈥� more than 600 at last count, who include all rhetoric and debate students plus students in 23 other 乐播传媒 courses. 鈥淧resident Clayton Spencer has registered to vote, as have alumni and parents,鈥� Kelley-Romano says.
From left, Republican campaign members Jacqueline Forney ’18 of Bloomington, Ind., Molly Chisholm ’17 of Boston, and Honor Moshay ’17 of Los Angeles listen to the details of the public health crisis. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
8:34 a.m. 鈥� It鈥檚 smallpox! (but not for real)
The 鈥渃risis鈥� at hand is an outbreak of smallpox in the U.S., and the campaigns have until noon to develop a public statement that will inform and calm the nation while announcing a containment plan.
鈥淚 mean, smallpox is supposed to be eradicated,鈥� says Gabe Nott ’17 of Bronxville, N.Y. He’s playing a Democrat from Maryland running for president. 鈥淵eah, I know,鈥� Kelley-Romano says, deflecting the implied question.
Another student tries to pull info from Kelley-Romano: 鈥淲hat vaccine do you need to prevent smallpox?鈥� The professor doesn鈥檛 bite: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know. Maybe you should check with the CDC.鈥�
Gabe Nott 鈥�17 of Bronxville, N.Y., is the Democratic candidate for president in the mock campaign that’s a key element of the course Presidential Campaign Rhetoric. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
8:40 a.m. 鈥� ‘A real disaster’
The campaigns spend the first half-hour or so figuring out what smallpox exactly is 鈥� a reminder that they鈥檙e young (or I鈥檓 old). Lots of us were aware of the last smallpox outbreak (1972 in Yugoslavia, killing 35 people), but these students were born between 1995 and 1996.
“Don鈥檛 fear monger.鈥�
The Democrats鈥� candidate for vice president, Courtney Foster 鈥�18 of Newton, Mass., notes that smallpox was 鈥渁 real disaster鈥� before being eradicated. Campaign manager Amanda San Roman 鈥�17 of East Setauket, N.Y., responds that their statement doesn鈥檛 need to talk about the horrors of the disease. 鈥淭he public is not already worried about smallpox. Don鈥檛 fear-monger,鈥� she suggests.
A senior interviewer for Admission, San Roman has to switch hats because she鈥檚 got two interviews scheduled at Lindholm House. 鈥淪orry, I can鈥檛 work on this now,鈥� she says, and heads off.
At right is campaign manager Amanda San Roman 鈥�17 of East Setauket, N.Y. Next to her is press secretary Ian Erickson ’18 of St. Albans, Vt. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
8:46 a.m. 鈥� Is it terrorism?
The campaigns have split up to work. Upstairs in the Republicans鈥� war room, they鈥檙e getting clues about how presidents handle health crises by watching, on a widescreen TV, how President Obama talked about Ebola in 2015. Downstairs, the Dems analyze Obama鈥檚 May 2016 briefing on the Zika virus.
Like the Dems, the Republicans are trying to grasp the historical scope of smallpox. They learn that smallpox was used as a biological weapon in the 18th century, when the British intentionally gave smallpox-infected items, including blankets, to Native Americans.
And now, smallpox and bioterrorism, plus some ambiguous hints in two official-looking memos given to the campaigns by Kelley-Romano, has the campaigns on high alert.
The Republicans鈥� presidential candidate, Molly Chisholm 鈥�17 of Boston asks her team, 鈥淒o we need to address that?鈥� Downstairs, the Democrats ask the same question: 鈥淎re the Republicans going to go to national security?鈥�
On the stool, Molly Chisholm ’17 of Boston, the Republican candidate for president, and her team review President Obama’s statement on Ebola. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
9:08 a.m. 鈥� ‘We need a lab coat’
On the question of whether to speak to the bioterrorism threat, Chisholm makes the call: 鈥淲e need to talk about bioterrorism. As Republicans, we need to be the national security party.鈥�
Following her lead, her team comes up with rhetorical tactics, and Honor Moshay 鈥�17 of Los Angeles, the campaign鈥檚 media director, is a font of ideas: 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 we get a 乐播传媒 EMS student to stand next to her during her address? We need a lab coat, too.” She adds, “Maybe we could get Paul Menice,鈥� mentioning a well-known officer with Security & Campus Safety.
Matt Baker 鈥�17 of Clinton, Md., Chisholm鈥檚 running mate, texts a friend who鈥檚 a 乐播传媒 EMS. 鈥淲e got him,鈥� he says.
Matt Baker ’17 of Clinton, Md., is the Republicans’ candidate for vice president. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
9:17 a.m. 鈥� A short walk to another world
When Kelley-Romano told Nott to check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she wasn鈥檛 kidding.
A little after 9, the campaigns leave Pettigrew, cross Alumni Walk, and enter Hathorn Hall for their meeting with CDC consultants, aka students in the course Mathematical Models in Biology, taught by Associate Professor of Mathematics Meredith Greer.
The Republicans, pictured, and the Democrats head into Hathorn Hall for their meeting with the CDC consultants, aka math students. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
9:30 a.m. 鈥� ‘We have guests’
The short walk from Pettigrew to Hathorn takes the rhetoric students from one academic world to another. 鈥淲e have guests,鈥� Greer tells her students as the Democratic and Republican candidates and their staffs enter Hathorn 303.
The professors give a brief overview of the mock situation before the group splits in three: Democrats, Republicans, and students playing the media.
Greer and Kelley-Romano have teamed up before to deliver a public-health 鈥渃risis鈥� to the PCR class. That was Ebola in 2014, when that disease was in the news.
Associate Professor of Mathematics Meredith Greer and Kelley-Romano brief the students. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
Chisholm, in fact, was part of a student team that worked with Kelley-Romano to tweak the course during her freshman year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool to see the interdisciplinary side of the course come into full effect,鈥� she says.
聽9:42 a.m. 鈥� Mars and Venus
According to the memos, two smallpox cases are in Massachusetts, where the Republican candidate, Chisholm, is governor, and two cases are in Washington, D.C., next door to Maryland, where Democrat Nott is governor.
The campaigns are meeting with the CDC consultants to develop a strategy for containing the smallpox outbreak in their home states.
It鈥檚 slow going at first as the two groups, rhetoric and math, weren鈥檛 quite sure what the other needs 鈥� Mars and Venus and all that.
鈥淚t was a tough barrier,鈥� Chisholm says later. 鈥淭hey knew a lot about smallpox and not a lot about rhetoric. We knew a lot about rhetoric and not a lot about smallpox and modeling.鈥�
The students鈥� discomfort is part of the plan, explains Greer. 鈥淭hey learn so much from working it out on their own.鈥�
Moshay, the Republicans鈥� media director, asks what seems to be a reasonable question: 鈥淐an we quarantine a city?鈥� The math students chuckle 鈥� from their reading, they know that large-scale quarantines are easier said than done.
Moshay tries again: 鈥淲hat are the typical responses to smallpox?鈥� which elicits the most blackly humorous line of the day, from a math student: 鈥淲idespread panic and death.鈥�
Math students Evan Goldberg ’19 (right) of Belmont, Mass., and Joseph Torres ’17 of Los Angeles work with the campaigns during their visit to the “CDC” in Hathorn Hall. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
10:30 a.m. 鈥� ‘That was awesome’
Math student Gabe Whitehead 鈥�17 of Shaker Heights, Ohio, who is working with the Republicans, uses a computational software called Mathematica to run various epidemic scenarios.
He pumps his fist: He鈥檚 figured out that a blend of vaccinations and quarantine measures for Chisholm鈥檚 home state of Massachusetts would result in a manageable death toll. Without a containment plan, the model predicts all-out catastrophe: 85,000 dead. With the plan, the deaths would number 7,000.
Whitehead shares graphs with the Republicans that show various scenarios. 鈥淲hen we got the graphs from Gabe, that was awesome,鈥� said Chisholm.
“How can theory be used in current-day life?”
It also represented a communication breakthrough. 鈥淲hen we outlined what we wanted to do in our speech 鈥� dissuade fear and show the public that we have this under control 鈥� they were able to give us what they knew.鈥�
Greer says her students were jazzed to link their knowledge with a real-world scenario. 鈥淭hey loved the feeling of working with data and with real disease ideas,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his project has an especially realistic feeling, one that is important to see in math classes. All this theory we have learned: How can it be used in current-day life?鈥�
Math student Gabe Whitehead 鈥�17 of Shaker Heights, Ohio, talks with the Republican campaign. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
10:53 a.m. 鈥� ‘We don鈥檛 want to sound paranoid’
The two campaigns head back across Alumni Walk to their Pettigrew war rooms to work on their smallpox statements, which they鈥檒l deliver in the Digital Media Studios at noon.
Chisholm wants her statement to explicitly say that a foreign country might be to blame. She also says that the statement 鈥渉as to be a rallying cry. We are still trying to win votes.鈥�
Her campaign manager, James Erwin 鈥�18 of Yarmouth, Maine, is more cautious. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to sound paranoid.鈥� A minute later, Moshay shows up with facemasks and a white lab coat for their 乐播传媒 EMS person to wear.
The Republicans’ campaign manager, James Erwin 鈥�18 of Yarmouth, Maine, plugs away on the statement. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
11:13 a.m. 鈥� 鈥淚 don鈥檛 always know what I鈥檓 doing鈥�
Amanda San Roman, the Dems鈥� campaign manager, who had to leave to do Admission interviews, returns. 鈥淚 talk about this course in all my interviews,鈥� she says because prospective students “are so impressed by it.鈥�
She tells the prospies that the course 鈥渋s more in depth than anything they鈥檝e experienced before. And it ranges so far around campus. We have all different groups coming together and teaming up to make this as real as possible.鈥�
And what does 鈥渞eal鈥� feel like?
鈥淎drenaline,鈥� San Roman says. 鈥淎s a 21-year-old student, I don鈥檛 always know what I鈥檓 doing in this. But it鈥檚 cool to be going through it with people who are interested in it and who are trying really hard.鈥�
The Republicans’ printed statement cleverly incorporated the campaign logo and those of FEMA and the CDC. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
11:29 a.m. 鈥� Thai chicken
A half-hour remains until each candidate has to deliver their address, and 95 percent of everyone鈥檚 attention is focused on prepping their statements.
Moshay speaks to group鈥檚 remaining 5 percent. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 for lunch?鈥� she asks. 鈥淭hai chicken,鈥� answers Michaela Britt 鈥�17 of South Burlington, Vt., who handles video production for the campaign. 鈥淥h, that鈥檚 good,鈥� says Moshay. Then it鈥檚 back to work.
Moshay displays progress on their statement. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
11:55 a.m. 鈥� ‘We will not crumble’
Gabe Nott will deliver his statement first, and Foster, his running mate, tries to calm his nerves. 鈥淪tay calm and controlled,鈥� she says.
鈥淵ou know me,鈥� he says with a tight smile. 鈥淚f there are two things I am, it鈥檚 calm and controlled.鈥�
The speech goes without a hitch. 鈥淪mallpox has been eradicated before, and it will be again,鈥� he says, channeling every president from FDR to Obama. 鈥淲e did not bow to Pearl Harbor…. We will not crumble now.鈥�
Nott delivers his statement in the studio of the Digital Media Studios in Pettigrew Hall. (Phyllis Graber Jensen)
12:08 p.m. 鈥� 鈥淪tay calm and follow instructions鈥�
While Nott delivers his talk alone at the lectern, Chisholm is flanked by the 乐播传媒 EMS student Sam Whitaker ’18 of Hollis, N.H., who plays a CDC staffer, and Erwin, her campaign manager.
Nott alludes to the possibility of bioterrorism without naming a country, saying that the 鈥渞e-emergence of the disease could have been an intentional attempt to undermine American safety and well-being.鈥�
The Republicans hit the bioterrorism angle, too, saying it鈥檚 鈥渧ery unlikely鈥� that the smallpox came from a U.S. source. Chisholm goes a step further, mentioning specifically that Russia has smallpox stocks and that the outbreak 鈥渋s a new type of international terrorism to consider.鈥�
鈥淔or the rest of us, it鈥檚 important to remain calm and follow instructions from public-health officials,鈥� she says.
鈥淲e have faced crises of this magnitude in the past, and every time, our attention to detail, our intuition, and our deliberate approach has guided our country. Events such as these endure as memorable moments of strength and unity for our country.鈥�
She concludes her speech by saying, 鈥淕od bless America.鈥�
Chisholm prepares to deliver her briefing. In background, 乐播传媒 EMS Sam Whitaker ’18 of Hollis, N.H., gets ready to play a CDC staffer who will stand by the candidate. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
12:18 p.m. 鈥� Is there a winner?
鈥淭hey both did well with the specifics of containment and using action verbs to put themselves in the action and in the solution,鈥� Kelley-Romano said.
Beyond the lessons of the day, Kelley-Romano puts a fine point on her course.
鈥淚 think life is interdisciplinary 鈥� a 乐播传媒 liberal arts education demands the simultaneous consideration of multiple fields of knowledge,鈥� she says.
Rhetoric, specifically, “prepares students because it forces them to consider not only the construction and content of what they see and hear but also examines the medium 鈥� radio, television, film, and social media 鈥� and its impact.鈥�
Chisholm, flanked by the Republicans’ video production staffer Michaela Britt 鈥�17 of South Burlington, Vt., and Brennen Malone ’17 of Philadelphia, who plays the husband of Democratic presidential candidate Nott, confer with Kelley-Romano after the briefing. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
