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The Democrats kicked off the convention with an event centered around the culture, tradition and community of Charlotte, hyped by every speaker in the previous week. The high expectations were exceeded as CarolinaFest proved to be a true celebration of the Carolinas. Spectators were treated to a variety of music, southern cuisine and free events which the rain could not even damper. It was the perfect way to begin the fieldwork placements of the over 110 students who had arrived to the up and coming city just a week before.

Fieldwork Positions

Fieldwork ranged from CNN to The Bloomberg Link and the Democratic National Convention Committee, with assignments such as:

• Runners
• Production Assistants
• Event Managers
• Access Controllers
• Security Personell

In addition to being in the field, students had the opportunity to hear from a dynamic group of speakers both inside and outside of the hall. National Journal, National Democratic Institute and Politico all hosted events in which the students not only listened to the speakers but also engaged with them.

Speakers included:

• Chelsea Clinton, Special Correspondent for NBC News
• Nancy Pelosi, Former Speaker of the House and Congresswoman (D-CA)
• Kal Penn, Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement
• Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia
• Ed Rendell, Former Governor of Pennsylvania 

From CarolinaFest to the Democratic National Convention Floor, students were able to see firsthand what goes into orchestrating a demanding yet exciting national event. While many were sleep-deprived  and ready to go home, none will forget the opportunity awarded to them, the experience gained and the friendships made during their DNC academic seminar experience.

Check out albums from the DNC Academic Seminar on our Flickr channel: