Tuesday night, about 100 University of Colorado students attended a talk by Reggie Love, former White House assistant to President Barack Obama, about the importance of getting involved in the democratic process in the University Memorial Center.
Love, 29, began by telling students how he got his start sorting mail for the Obama campaign in 2006, while tending bar at night to keep up with his bills.
“I was ready to change the world and instead they needed help in the mail room,” Love said. “”I thought, how am I going to change the world in the mail room?”
Love eventually went on the campaign trail and then to the White House with President Obama. He recently left his position as Obama’s “body man” to get his graduate degree and travel the country speaking to college students about the importance of politics.
Students said Love’s early success helps him connect with young adults on a personal level, which helps put politics into perspective for students.
CU senior Alexandra Katz said she’s not interested in politics, but she was curious to hear the perspective of a young adult.
“He’s younger than a lot of politicians and … I think he’s relatable to CU students,” Katz said. “I think it will be more intriguing than if a 50 year old came to talk to us.”
Love briefly mentioned how politics impact education and encouraged students to educate themselves about policies that affect their student loan debt or tuition costs.
CU senior Kevin Patterson said relating issues to students, like education, is a good way to attract young adults to the democratic process and spark their interest in politics.
Speakers like Love bring more attention to voting and politics, encouraging them to participate in the democratic process, Patterson said.
Beyond personal anecdotes about working his way from the mail room to the White House and encouraging students to work hard, Love spent most of his time answering questions from students.
Students asked questions like: Did he feel he deserved his position in the White House? How was it working on the 2008 presidential campaign? How much time did he spend with the Obama family dog, Bo?
“I decided not to get too attached,” Love said.
Another student asked if President Obama was a good basketball player.
“Uh, he’s pretty good,” Love said.
Love encouraged education, hard work and sacrifice to students who have high expectations for their future.
“It gets harder and harder to sacrifice for your future, but you have to do it,” Love said.
CU junior Amanda Mirabal said Love’s story gave her confidence, proving that young people can achieve their dreams. Mirabal said she also credits some of Love’s success to luck, being in the right place at the right time.
“He talked a lot about his brand and having the right attitude about it,” Mirabal said. “That just shows you that you have to have more than the degree.”
CU junior Steven Pauken said he was expecting a larger crowd at the event. However, he said that the crowd was reflective of the small percentage of college students who are engaged in the political process.
Pauken said Love was preaching to the choir when he described the crowd as those students who are likely already involved in educating themselves.
“It’s unfortunate that the people who probably need to hear it and open their minds the most didn’t come,” Pauken said.
The students said Love’s talk was about what they expected, though they would have liked more detail about his job as the President’s personal assistant.
