Throughout the Republican National Convention, amid the mass of veterans and older voters, few college students could be seen. Vanderbilt, however, was well represented.

Junior Amy Venit was one such student.

“It’s a unique experience to see a cross-section of Americans gathering in one place to celebrate the ideals and actions of the party they believe in,” said Venit. “Where else can you find people of all ages, economic backgrounds and geographical distributions banding together to celebrate … and work to elect the next president of the United States?”

Following her spring semester internship with the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., Venit has spent the week volunteering for the party on the floor of the convention.

Venit isn’t the only Vandy student in St. Paul, however.

Senior Vivek Surti, a native of Nashville and former Fred Thompson campaign volunteer also spent the week in St. Paul, working for the RNC.

Recent graduate Alex McVeagh, who serves as the co-chair of the Tennessee Students for McCain, performed his duties as a delegate Wednesday, voting for John McCain during the roll call vote. McVeagh, who graduated in May, was a McCain supporter from the beginning of the election cycle. According to The Daily Texan, only 42 out of the 2,380 delegates in attendance were under 30 years old, making McVeagh’s role a rare one.

While Barack Obama has dominated the youth vote, both in polls and culturally, vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin may have energized a younger generation of party members.

“Palin's speech was truly magnificent,” Venit said, who compared the speech to Obama’s 2004 keynote address in Boston. “The Xcel center truly stood in awe while she spoke. Hers was the first and only speech where no one was mingling in the halls, heading to the restroom or hitting up the refreshments. Palin’s commanding presence and powerful words … left the audience in awe.”

Now, though, the convention has concluded with McCain’s call to service — perhaps a call to service for a new generation of Republicans.

“I grew up in the liberal enclave that is Montgomery County, Md.,” Venit said, “so being around a lot of conservative people has been really inspiring.”