Mark Warner Never Betrayed My Virginia

 This morning I woke up to a call from my mom who lives in Suffok, VA. It was 7:45am and she knows I don't like to see daylight before 9 or 10am so I knew she was calling for a reason. She told me that she had seen a peculiar sign on the way to work. It declared "MARK WARNER HAS BETRAYED VIRGINIA." My mom was obviously confused as to why someone would decide to post such a sign after Warner was re-elected this year. But I know why. 

   The last couple years have not been great for Virginia Republicans. First, they lose a presidential and senate race in 2012 and, then in 2013, they get shutout of the Statewide offices. I get it. This is all new to them. This year they fought hard to regain some sort of control and they lost, but just barely. 

   Let me explain something though. Virginia Democrats are some of the most devoted public servants I have had the honor to work for or meet. They have not "betrayed" Virginia in any way. If anything, Virginia Republicans have done that time and again. This person that posted that sign must not know what Virginia really looks like. So let me give you an idea of the Virginia I have lived in nearly my entire life.

   My Virginia starts in Hampton Roads with Navy bases, traffic, and hundreds of thousands of people packed into 7 cities. These hundreds of thousands of people are of every race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic class. Other than NoVA, it is probably the most integrated part of the state in both mentality and geographic set-up. It still has its problems, but it is getting there. Hampton Roads is resoundingly democratic, sans Virginia Beach which is more 50/50. My Virginia then moves to the Roanoke Valley with mountains, long winding roads, high school football, and far fewer people. Going to middle and high school in Salem, VA was an interesting experience for this city girl. The diversity I was so used to was nearly nonexistent and the segregation of races, religions, and so forth was glaringly obvious to me as an outsider. There are not as many democrats out there, but my generation is changing that I feel. My Virginia finally moves to Northern Virginia with its hyperdiversity, prosperity, and millions of people. What I love most about living in NoVA is going to the store and hearing any manner of language as you walk around. I love that I live 20 minutes from a beautiful Sikh temple with a golden dome. That my neighbors are African Muslims who immigrated to the United States rather recently.

   My Virginia is not narrow. It is a canvass that holds every color of the rainbow and more on it. 

   So when I hear people say that Mark Warner or Tim Kaine or Terry McAuliffe betrayed Virginia, I am confused. What Virginia are you looking at? Is your Virginia filled with White, Middle Aged Men? Because mine isn't. 

   I have never had the pleasure to work or even volunteer for any of Mark Warner's campaigns, but I have met him a handful of times in my travels. He is, by far, one of the most dedicated public servants in the country. He does everything for Virginians. From his Governorship to his time as Senator he has fought for us. For our military bases, our veterans, our teachers, our children, everyone. He sometimes even waxes a bit too moderate for me because he works for Virginians as a whole. I remember the first time I saw him in person. He was with Tim Kaine when he announced his candidacy for Governor back in 2005. I remember little 14 year old me having no idea who Tim was, but knowing that the guy to his right was Mark Warner aka the best Governor Virginia had ever seen. I was in awe of him and to this day I carry a deep respect for him. 

   As of late, it has become common place to disrespect Democratic leaders. Barack Obama may be President, but I have never seen a President put up with such blatant obstruction and crap in my lifetime or in history. Not too long ago, Mark Warner was the Republican's Democrat. He still has more Republican endorsements than his Republican opponents from time to time. This year, he's "betraying" Virginians. I don't get it. Nothing about him has changed. But something about the Republican Party in Virginia has and I don't like it. I won't respect this direction it is taking. Because believe it or not there are republicans I respect, but if this is the way of the VAGOP, then I bid them adieu and will personally see to it that they never win a statewide race again so long as I reside in Virginia.

And They Fall Like Dominos

   I know I'm about a week late on posting this, but last week was long and hard and tiring. A lot happened and I just didn't think this post would fit well with the other things going on in my piece of the world. But it is time and I'm so happy to write about it. 

   Last week, on Monday at 1pm, my home state, Virginia, hosted its first same sex marriages after the Ban was struck down in federal courts. This is SO important. Let me give some detail. 

   On Monday, October 6th, the Supreme Court refused to hear cases in 5 states, including Virginia, pertaining to Same-Sex Marriage Bans, thus upholding the decisions of the lower courts. Those five states immediately were allowed to hold Same-Sex marriages. My Attorney General, Mark Herring, whom I helped elect last year, announced that the Commonwealth of Virginia would begin providing Same-Sex Marriage Certificates and holding the marriages with Justices of the Peace at 1pm that same day. That. SAME. DAY. I have never been so proud to be a Virginian and to have worked tirelessly to make sure than Governor McAuliffe, Lieutenant Governor Northam, and Attorney General Herring were elected. This is what I fought for. Equality of all people in my state. 

   This has not been an easy battle, you see. I was alive when the Same-Sex Marriage Ban was made stricter and stricter as an amendment to the Commonwealth of Virginia's Constitution. The initial amendment in 1975 the Commonwealth of Virginia prohibited the marriage of same sex individuals. In 1997, the Virginia General Assembly banned the recognition of same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions and blocked access to benefits awarded married couples. In 2004, the Virginia General Assembly went a step further and banned civil unions and the like between same-sex couples including private contracts. As you can see, Virginia hasn't been on the right side of history for a long time. 

   On July 18, 2013, Bostic v. Schaefer was filed challenging the same-sex marriage ban in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. This case initially involved one male gay couple, though not to much later a lesbian couple joined in a plantiffs on the case. Attorney General Herring refused to defend the Ban on his Inauguration into office in January. On February 13, 2014, Judge Wright Allen in Norfolk, VA ruled that the statutory and constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in Virginia was unconstitutional. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this decision on July 28th in favor of striking down the ban entirely. So with the Supreme Court's refusal to hear the appeal on October 6th, the ban was struck down and Virginia, finally, found itself on the right side of history. 

   This is SO important. Because the Supreme Court's refusal to hear the cases cleared a path for nearly 30 other states to strike down their own same-sex marriage bans. THIS IS HUGE. Since the decision these bans have been falling like dominos throughout the country. 

   That first day I knew people who got married after decades of commitment to each other. I saw their picture show up on Equality Virginia's facebook and I cried of happiness for them. No Love is Less Important than another. Love is Equal. 

   Let me share a story from the Campaign Trail last year. I was working in Norfolk for the Democratic Coordinated Campaign. I happened to be in the office when this lovely gay couple came in. They were not originally from Virginia and had moved to the Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk from New York. One of the men was very happy to see the work we were doing and very supportive. The other could not see how any of it would make a difference. His marriage was not recognized here and he did not think it would be anytime soon. I tried so hard to explain to him that this year was different. That I felt that these men could change the tide in Virginia. That Virginia was on the cusp of a dramatic shift. He appreciated my optimism, but was still very doubtful, but did say he would vote for the democrats come November. That was all I could ask. I hope that he and his husband see now that Virginia is worth fighting for. He inspired me. I could not let this be his reality. 

   So I fought. I am still fighting. And I will not stop fighting until equality is not a luxury or privilege, but a right. You should too. Because no one deserves to feel like a second class citizen for any reason.

Liberal Arts Colleges Aren't Special Snowflakes

   Okay. I am back again, talking about things I NEVER thought I would have to address in relation to my own school. This case has blown up and understandably so. But the direction it is taking on campus disappoints me so much. I never thought in a million years I would have to say the things I am about to say to my classmates, fellow alumni, or administrators.

   First and foremost, Small Private Liberal Arts Colleges are NOT special snowflakes in their little protective bubble from the rest of the world's problems. They have the same problems and suffer from the same issues and faults. I LOVED going to a SPLAC. It was perfect for me, but never once did I think there might not be problems at Virginia Wesleyan. I knew there were very typical college problems there from Day One. I, luckily, avoided a lot of those problems and helped my own friends and sisters and freshmen avoid them to. 

   Second, Rape is an epidemic in our society and, specifically in colleges here in the United States. VWC didn't get a pass from that. I've heard stories, comforted friends, and been warned against certain groups and individuals since my first day of Orientation nearly 7 years ago. Guess what. It is REAL. It is TRAUMATIZING. And VWC SCREWED UP. 

   Did you know that you are mostly likely to be raped by someone you know? Did you know that rape often happens when the acting party has some sort of power over the other person? Do these things sound familiar to you? 

   This is our exact situation. Virginia Wesleyan boasts roughly 1500 students maximum. That's tiny. You are probably a lot like I was when I went there. You know just about everyone on campus. There are your friends/sisters/brothers, your fellow majors, your classmates, and that kid you can't remember the name of but you've had class with them so much you feel obligated to wave at them. I LOVE that about our community, but there are a LOT of people you know. (Edit: It seems I jumped the gun. He was not her Peer Advisor. She was invited to the party by her Peer advisor though.) This kid was a Lacrosse Player, but more importantly he was a Peer Advisor, her Peer Advisor. You trust your peer advisor with so much because they helped you get acclimated to this new world called college. The next step to adulthood. He BROKE that trust. As someone who peer advised and bent over backwards to make sure my freshmen made it, going so far as to check in on them throughout their career until their graduation even after I graduated, I am offended and heartbroken that this person could bring himself to take advantage of one of his students. 

   Third, Rape is not an accident. It is not a mistake. You don't trip and fall into someone's genitalia repeatedly. When a rape occurs a person is ACTIVELY making the decision to take advantage of someone. Be it through manipulation, force, or the like, they are making that decision and they are aware of it. They are deciding that it is OKAY for them to do this and that is completely UNACCEPTABLE. You know why it is unacceptable? Because he is still out there at another college and he has made the decision once that it is okay to force himself on a young woman and harm her. Because the women at his new school do not know that he is dangerous (he is dangerous). BECAUSE HE COULD DO THIS AGAIN TO ANOTHER WOMAN AND ANOTHER AND ANOTHER AND NEVER EVER SEE CONSEQUENCES FOR IT. He never learned that what he did was wrong because he just transfered and started fresh somewhere. He probably still plays Lacrosse and parties too much, while 'Jane Doe' lives with the emotional and physical destruction he has caused her for the rest of her life. 

   Which brings me to my last point. If you are saying that this did not happen and she is lying, YOU are part of the problem. If you think that what the schools did was enough and she should 'let it go,' YOU are part of the problem. If you have said at any point 'boys will be boys,' YOU are part of the problem. If you think that this girl who was victimized is stupid for suing or has no reason to, YOU are part of the problem. 

   Don't be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution. Stand Up. STAND TOGETHER.

   Marlins, Be Better. Do Better. Make Change. Show the world what I already know, that you are a phenomenal community that can lead the way to a safer space for everyone.

I Stand By Jane Doe and I Am Virginia Wesleyan

   Let me start by explaining the situation. A couple days ago it came to light that my college, Virginia Wesleyan College, in Norfolk, VA was being sued by a former student for negligence of a sexual assault case on campus. The young woman, referred to as Jane Doe to protect her identity, was a new student in Fall 2012 and was lured by her Peer Adivsor (a lacrosse player) to a lacrosse party. She was then drugged and raped. On her way back to her dorm, she was seen by a security guard, who did nothing though her shorts were bloody and she was distressed. She reported the incident to the administration at VWC and they found the Lacrosse player guilty of sexual assault and originally Expelled him. Later, they decided to un-expel him and allow him to voluntarily withdraw so he could transfer to another institution. AND THERE, MY FRIENDS, IS THE GROSS MISHANDLING OF THE SITUATION. 

   Let me tell you something about my school. At my Freshman Orientation, I was lucky to become friends with upperclassmen who had my back. I was told to NEVER go to a Lacrosse party because they were known to drug and sexually assault women. SEVEN YEARS AGO, we knew this and upperclassmen actively informed as many freshmen girls as possible. They weren't the only team I was warned against. I continued the practice when I was a peer advisor every year after, even after I graduated I would tell freshmen girls what groups to avoid on campus. 

   Here's the thing, this is not something that has only happened at Virginia Wesleyan College. This is a trend across our nation in universities and colleges, big and small, public and private. Lately, it has come to glaring light that women are not safe on their campuses because we teach girls to be safer rather than boys to not rape. Columbia, Hobart, William, and Smith, Virginia Tech, JMU, GMU, NYU, UCSB, UGA, Auburn, VCU, UVA. This happens everywhere. There needs to be a change. 

   So let me tell you what Virginia Wesleyan is to me because I feel that it is being lost in this debate.

Our Gorgeous Campus

   VWC is not its administration. 

A Picture of me from Senior Year, Fall 2011

   I am Virginia Wesleyan. I am a member of Phi Sigma Sigma Fraternity, Inc. I was President of Pi Sigma Alpha Political Honor Society and Equality Alliance. I was a Senior Senator on SGA. I was a tutor and peer advisor. A friend. A sister. I found myself at Virginia Wesleyan and I know many of you have too. 

Bid Day 2009

   Virginia Wesleyan is home. It is the students, the professors, the Greeks, the athletes, the clubs, the Batten Center, the Caf, the Grille, Clarke, Blocker, Mud Games, Airband, Homecoming, Greek Games, Basketball season, ODAC Champions. It is the community, the family, the culture we have made. We are the Marlins. We Bleed Blue and White. 

One of the many Basketball Games we all adore.

   What we need to take from this is that WE must be better. WE, as Marlins, can make VWC better. WE must hold people accountable and make the changes we know need to be made. WE can be the example for all the other colleges and universities that are dealing with the same problems. 

   STAND UP and Be Better. STAND TOGETHER and Make Our Community and College Better.

   Because Virginia Wesleyan is so precious to each one of us and it deserves that WE do what needs to be done to help it reach its full and real potential as a college and as Our Home. 

Have Some Sense Will Ya?

   I really didn't want to write a piece about this because I REALLY hoped that people would have some sense. I really wanted to believe that they would see how crazy they look and cease and desist the idiocy...but they didn't. If anything it has gotten worse. I am sure you would like to know what I am talking about, right? 

   I am talking about the recent rash of people taking SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLES into places like Chipotle and Target to assert their Second Amendment rights and scare the crap out of their neighbors. Not only do I think that this is quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever heard of, but it is also the SCARIEST thing I have ever heard of. 

Gun Rights Enthusiasts at the Target...

   So let me explain what has been going on if you haven't heard. The past few months have seen a rash of 'protests' and 'demonstrations' where people show up to places like Chipotle (this was when I first heard about it) and Target (just found out about this) with the BIGGEST gun they own, normally a semi-automatic rifle or a shotgun, and go in and act like it's completely normal to have something that deadly strapped to their back. People's reaction to these people walking in has been what one would expect, panic and confusion. Normally, when someone walks in with a gun things are about to suck really bad for you. When asked to leave in some cases these people have put up a fuss, but never pulled their gun on anyone (thank GOD). Though someone did leave a LOADED HANDGUN IN THE TOY SECTION at a Target in South Carolina.

   My first question is: How do they NOT see how insane this makes them look? How do you sit there and think 'you know what I'm going to take my gun with me to the Target and it's going to be awesome. No one will freak out at all.'?

   My second question is: WHY THE HELL DO YOU NEED A SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE OR SHOTGUN AT THE STORE? Why? Are there guerilla soldiers hiding in the cosmetics department? Are there deer foraging in the juniors' clothes section? NO, there are not. So why in the hell do you need it?

   So maybe you do think that no one will freak out or that there are guerilla soldiers hiding in cosmetics, let me explain what is going through the mind of every employee and every unarmed customer in the store you are at though. 

*Spots Giant Gun on person's back as they walk in the store*

"Oh God. They are going to shoot everyone. Oh God. I'm going to die today."

*Likely followed with a lot of screaming and running*

   First and foremost, you will look crazy and like you are about to be the next mass shooter.

   Second, when people catch on to what you are actually doing, you look like an idiot.

   Finally, it hurts your cause more than helps it.

   I get it. You like your guns and you want to keep them. Guess what. No one is coming to take them away from you. I am from the South. I know how much people love their guns. I do not quite understand it, but hey, as long as you only use them for hunting, self defense, and target practice at a shooting range I am pretty okay with it. But when you bring your gun to a Target or a Chipotle be prepared for me to not support your right to carry it there because you are putting other people's rights in danger now and I will not stand for that.

   So have some sense. Don't look like the next mass murderer. (Especially since even the NRA has condemned these demonstrations. I mean, come on.) Also, take a look at these stats and tell me that the US does not need even a little more regulation of gun trade.

Are You Ready For Hillary?

   And so it begins...

   Today, Hillary Clinton announced that she was 'thinking' about running for President in 2016. This is the first time she has really expressed any opinion on the matter. She expertly dodged question after question since 2012 and now we get the first glimpse...and it is not much. She expressed what her friends and colleagues have been saying since 2008. Some people are taking this as a sure sign that she will be running and validation for their devotion to her candidacy, which is all fine and dandy, but she hasn't announced yet. The very idea of her running has launched thousands to begin building a campaign for her already. The Ready For Hillary organization is fundraising as we speak for a campaign we are not sure is actually going to happen. Political Organizers all over the nation are citing that as what they want to be doing in 2016, this, that, or the other position on Hillary 2016. I have even said it to be honest. 

   It is a crazy phenomenon that someone who ran 6 years ago for the Democratic nomination and lost could garner so much support without actually saying she is running. Hillary Clinton's popularity is through the roof and hitting the ground she would have some of the best staff out there begging to sign on with her for the long haul, myself among them. She has become an icon in her time as Secretary of State to the point that if she does not run I am not sure what the DNC will do. People who would be dead ringers to run have said their decision hinges on whether she runs. No one wants to stand in her way. 

Photo Credit Aria Meier - Region 6 Dry Run Data Party

   From a field perspective, I would die to work on that race. It would be one of the biggest, best funded, amazingly staffed campaigns in recent history. My personal goal for 2016 is to be a Training Director in Virginia for the Democratic nominee aka Hillary. After that I actually plan to retire my campaign shoes and move on to graduate school. The thing is Hillary 2016 has become the Golden Apple of campaigns for people who work in Field. We covet the opportunity to be a part of something so huge. The first Female President of the United States. Another Clinton in office. One of the most influential people in the world becoming the Leader of the Free World. For a lot of us it looks to be a real turning point for our country. It will be something we can look to and say "I did that and it made a difference." It will be the same feeling Field Staff had in 2008 when we elected Barack Obama, but potentially bigger. 

   I am not going to be foolish and say that Hillary Clinton is perfect. She is not. No one is. But I really do think she could be the "hero Gotham needs right now" to quote the Dark Knight. Things are changing here in the United States and it's looking like the Democrats are starting to come out on top after a good long fight. We have changed the playing field and really honed our skills. We are ahead of the game. For someone like me it is an exciting time for be a political organizer because things are on the move. States are shifting. Look at Virginia, all 5 statewide offices held by Democrats, a Democratic State Senate, and increased movement on important issues. 

   So I will be honest and say I REALLY hope Hillary decides to run because it will be insane and epic and life changing. But I am not going to assume anything until 2015 when people start declaring.

   I'm Ready For Hillary, Are You?

Pandora's Pythos and the Hope is Holds

   Centuries and centuries ago there were amazing stories of how things came to be. Great fables and myths that are still heard today though many are considered debunked. If you know me at all well you know I am fascinated with very specific periods in history, amongst those being Ancient Greece. I was so fascinated by Ancient History I went so far as to minor in Classical Studies while getting my Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Studies. 

   It enthralls me how these people who had so little in ways of science or even history in some cases were able to organize some of the most amazing societies, empires, and religions. I believe that the Ancient Greek religion is one of my favorites. It is so unique because though they have multiple Gods and Goddesses with specific attributes and realms of influence, these deities still have very human flaws. They are one of the only organized religions that had their "Great Beings" be imperfect and make mistakes. That could be why I am drawn to Ancient Greek mythology.

   One of my favorite stories out of Greek mythology is that of Prometheus and his brother, Epimethius. According to the myth, these two Titan brothers molded all living things giving each a gift to protect them. Prometheus got in trouble because he gave humans fire, a substance only meant for the Gods. His punishment was to be chained to a rock for the rest of eternity and each day have his liver eaten by an eagle, but this was not the only punishment handed down by the Gods. Prometheus's brother got his own punishment. The Gods fashioned Epimethius a wife. She was perfect in every way.

   Her name was Pandora.

   Pandora was Epimethius's punishment, for with Pandora came her pythos (which was a jar not a box) and she was never to open it. But the Gods who had created Pandora gave her curiosity, not normally a bad thing, so one day she opened her pythos. She unleashed all the greatest horrors into the world. War, Death, Disease, etc. The only thing she managed to save was Hope. And so goes the story of why humans will always have hope to fall back on in the worst of circumstances. 

   Hope is something that means a lot to me. I refuse to lose it. I mean Pandora saved it for us for a reason. When you lose hope there is nothing left to live for, you just exist. Hope is what keeps me going, keeps me fighting. I have had hope in many things and people. I work in a field where having hope is half the battle. You have to believe you can win and then fight every second so that you get there. Even at my lowest points I always believe there is a chance. It is the reason I always want to believe the best of people, why I give them so many chances to prove me right. 

   I will be honest and say that sometimes it does blow up in my face. Sometimes I am let down. Very badly in some cases, but somehow I can always get back up. Because there are times when I am so very right, where I am given more reason to believe in what I do and the people I keep in my life. 

   Hope is such a fascinating concept. I literally keeps people going and doing amazing things. The world is full of people who have only hope to fall back on to keep them fighting for whatever it is they believe in or whatever goals they wish to achieve. But seeing someone lose hope is the worst thing in the world. It is like seeing someone lose the life inside. Watching them give up and just exist through doing just enough to get by. To think that one thing can be the catalyst of so much. It is insane and yet it makes so much sense. Why would the Greeks have made it so important that Pandora saved Hope if it meant nothing? Thousands of years ago it was understood that the one thing that would keep mankind moving forward was hope and today that still rings true. 

   I can not tell you what I was really trying to achieve with this, but a thought struck me and I had to write it down. Maybe the muses were out to play today. Maybe I am a lucky victim of one of the nine's touch. Who is to know?

Perks of Campaign World

So this week is all about experiences I've had. I feel like sharing so here we go. 

   Something great about Campaign World is that when you win, you celebrate. When I say celebrate I mean that we, as organizers, throw the roof off the place. I have been lucky enough to be a part of three winning campaigns in my career and each time was the best experience I could ask for. I love my campaign family. They are amazing and gifted people and there are no other people I would rather take the night with. With three campaigns I have been to three staff victory parties, two inaugurations, two balls, and one staff after party. Each of them was the most fun I have ever had. I'm going to tell you what I can about each and why these things are my favorite.

Region 11 The Morning After the OFA Victory Party (Banez's pic)

   I have got to say that Obama treated us well when it came to post campaign perks. He really did. We had a victory party in Richmond where they provided a place for us to crash literally next to the venue. It was an awesome experience where we all drove out to Richmond from Norfolk carrying everything from our offices, printers, laptops, modems, and desktops, dropped them off in the Richmond office, ran to the hotel, changed, and got together as regions before we headed to the venue across the street. The great thing about my region is that we were Region 11, which consisted of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake, aka the cities that brought it in for Virginia and turned it Blue for Obama. It was a little crazy because we would get asked what region we were and get treated like Kings and Queens when people heard. We danced, we laughed, we listened to a speech about our impending 'funemployment', and we went back to our accidentally acquired Presidential Suite and enjoyed ourselves into the wee hours of the morning. It was an experience I'll never forget. The next morning we hit the wall every campaign hits where you realize you are not going to see these people every day anymore. So we went to brunch at a random Bistro to prolong our time in Richmond.

Crowd Shot (Credit to Me)

   Almost three months later, we came back together for the Obama Inauguration and Staff Ball in January. I road tripped it up with my former Field Organizer. Super entertaining. We stayed with one of the former Fellows who lived in Maryland. The Inauguration was insane. The National Mall was packed with people. I have never seen so many people in one place. I watched President Obama and Vice President Biden take their oaths of office. I listened to Beyonce since the National Anthem and I did this amongst my fellow organizers. We froze our butts off for this. We screamed the loudest. We were the proudest. 

Reggie and I at the Staff Ball (Credit to Reggie)

   Later on, we headed to our very own Ball. I'm not going to lie, OFA staff cleans up well. We all went all out. We, also, got super lucky because "Suit & Tie" by Justin Timberlake came out the week before.  We jumped each other as we found each other in the crowd. We danced. We watched Lady Gaga perform and had a great DJ. VP and Dr. Biden came out and spoke a little. President and Michelle Obama came out and he spoke while she sort of did an interpretive dance. They tried to rush him and he said "No, I can take time for these people." It was amazing. It was the real last time that I saw several of those amazing people as we scattered to the four winds. 

   Let me tell you, if there is a candidate that know how to celebrate a win, it is Terry McAuliffe. He brought us all to Richmond, found a great venue, paid for all the food and drinks, and celebrated with us. It was awesome. This is one of my absolute favorite teams I have worked with. There are few, if any, people who worked for Terry that I did not like. We mingled between regions. We hung with our own. It was an amazing event. I witnessed the Governor of Virginia attempt to dance. I even danced with him with a few of my colleagues. The campaign leadership gave rousing speeches. Terry and his wife, Dorothy, both gave speeches. We stormed the stage a few times. It was an epic night. The next day, there was another brunch. This time at 3rd Street Diner. Another farewell that hurt.    

That's Terry giving a speech in the RAIN (Credit to I'esha)

   Another 3 month gap, though I saw a lot more of these guys in between than the last time, and we reunite for my second Inauguration in two years. So, of course, it rains. For two hours, we all sat in the rain. Watching all our hard work come to fruition. A Democratic Sweep was sworn into office that day. It was amazing. The better thing is when Terry came up to speak the rain let up. It was like a little sign from the Big Guy that we were on the right track. I was more excited for Herring to take his oath to be honest because it had been a fight to get him in the seat of Attorney General with the recount and the potential shady dealings. It was a sweet victory. That night we had the Inaugural Ball. It was not quite as fun as I would've liked. We all dressed up super fancy. Looked amazing. It was definitely more of a schmoozing event than an actual dance ball. We mingled. Took the necessary pictures. I may have avoided people from my past as effectively as possible. Overall, it was nice, but we were in need of some real celebration. Good thing Terry planned a staff after party and provided shuttles.

Team Michion at the Ball

  When the time came it was a mass exodus to the Staff After Party across town. That is when it got really fun. Robby Mook met us there and came on EVERY bus to welcome people as they came. We arrived still in our finest and started the real celebration. The music was loud, food abundant, and drinks flowing. I danced with my home region, Region 6, and of course our neighbors Region 4. I tried with all my might to get my fellow SD 33 organizers to dance. I failed miserably. I definitely danced right in front of them a few times. Terry came and gave his speech. He made his requests and danced a bit. We all had an obscene amount of fun and I'll definitely count that night among the most fun I have had. I was with all my favorite people and I will always love that. 

   For Jennifer Wexton's campaign we were not sure when we would get to go and either celebrate or be together in our sorrow. Insanely, Results were in by 9pm. I got a burst of energy, probably just adrenaline, and changed into some fancy clothes and headed to the venue for our victory party. This was my favorite Victory Party. We walked around. Enjoyed each others' company. Talked about what had happened and what was next. It was just a great feeling. This is my favorite day in Campaign World. We deserved it so much. This was the best team I ever worked with and likely will ever work with. It was so bittersweet the next day when so many of them were leaving for home so soon. I will miss them the most. 

   So that's what it's like to celebrate a win. We have fun. We enjoy each other. We become and are family. 

From the Eyes of a Bystander

   I am going to talk about something that happened to me a while back. Above you see pictured one of my favorite cities in the world, Boston. Last year I spent April, May, and part of June in this amazing city. I didn't think I would like it much when I first decided to go up there for my job. I thought I would become a human popsicle to be honest. We southerners do not do well in the cold. I got over that soon though because the people I was with were amazing and the job I was doing was something I really believed in.

   Boston is an amazing city. It's very different from DC and New York and, even, my native Virginia Beach. It's beautiful in a dingy sort of way. It's very old feeling. The people there are kind, but also tough as nails. It's a liberal's paradise too. I spent time there in one of my former job's headquarters working on our summer recruitment project. Turns out I am really good at convincing people that canvassing and fundraising is important. I loved what I was doing every day.

   While I was there the organization I worked with picked up a contract to petition for the American Lung Association in a few of our cities to get signatures in support of a bill that would work to decrease sulfur emissions in cars, which are a leading cause in asthma in young children. One of those cities was Boston. We had the perfect opportunity. The Boston Marathon was that week and we would make a killing because who cares more about clean air than runners who depend on it and their families? No one really.

   So on Marathon Monday we were out at different parts of the route talking to people. People were really responsive and it was pretty fun. A nice change from being stuck in the office all day. The day went on. I spoke to so many people that day. People waiting for their loved ones to cross the finish line, old marathon veterans, the runners themselves, people who came from all over to watch or participate. It was amazing. I even saw some re-enactors in full colonial dress with muskets and buckled shoes. 

   That's why when I heard a loud BOOM!! come from a few blocks away I thought it was a cannon. It startled me a bit, but I assumed it was just some re-enactment stuff. I decided to go check on my other canvassers anyway. I find one of them as I walk up the street and she asked me what happened. I said "Oh I think it was just a cannon." Then she told me to turn around. There was smoke billowing up from 3 blocks away. That's when I decided we needed to find the rest of our group. I still remember thinking "How is this happening in Boston? I'm not in DC, what is this." We found them and upon further discussion decided to head back to the office. All we knew was that there was an explosion at the finish line and it was probably a better idea to leave the area. We started walking in the direction of the office and at one point got caught in something of a stampede. People got startled and started running. We got through a barricade and got out of the main body of people as soon as we could and headed for Boston Commons. We tried calling our office but the cell lines were shut down because far too many people were trying to call on them. 

   We watched families find each other. People walk almost in a daze. Others crying and visibly shaken. I held the hand of one of our canvassers the entire walk back. I didn't want to lose anyone if people started running again. I probably needed the comfort too. Maybe she did. I remember feeling my phone vibrate and there being a notification from the Virginian-Pilot (before NY Times or BBC or Al Jazeera) that there had been an explosion at the Boston Marathon. We made it back to the office safely. We made it upstairs and no one knew what had happened yet. I had gotten a call from one of my coworkers who worked on the upper floor of our office and frantically told someone to call her and tell her we were okay. I almost walked upstairs to do it myself. I made the calls that needed to be made. Told my parents I was okay. Told my sisters. Told my friends in the DC office who had been freaking out. Then I went back to work. 

   They brought in a psychiatrist the next day to talk to us and make sure we were okay. We talked about how we felt and what our reactions were. I stayed after because I was a little confused. I asked the psychiatrist why I didn't feel more scared. Why I felt okay just a day later. He told me it was because I had handled it. I talked to people about it. He told me I was more prepared than others for this by being a military brat who lived through 9/11 and having gone to high school so close the Virginia Tech. I had dealt with high stress situations before and I knew what to do for my psyche to handle it. I'm not sad to hear this, but it's a little weird to be told that you've lived such an eventful life that you can handle being so close to a bombing. 

   Here's the reality of what happened. Two brothers, who happened to be radicalize muslims, planted bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line. Those bombs went off injuring a large amount of people even killing a few. The people of Boston took no time to run in and help those people. They picked people up and carried them to the hospital. The runners who were still coming in didn't stop there. They ran straight to the hospital to give blood. People opened up their businesses and homes to complete strangers. Life went on. The bad guys were caught. Boston is the toughest city I've ever been to. Tough as nails. It was hit and stood back up to lay its own punches.

   To this day I still get emotional when I read about it or people remember it on TV or online. I can't handle the sound of cannons. Recently, at the Virginia Gubernatorial Inauguration, I did not realize they were going to set off cannons and the first one nearly sent me into a panic attack. My intern let me squeeze her hand through the whole thing. The whole time I was hoping they weren't going to set them off for the number of governors we've had (it was the 72nd Gubernatorial Inauguration). I like many others will live with that experience my whole life. It's the closest I ever been to that kind of traumatic event. 

   I'm not writing this for sympathy or your praise. I just know that people really don't understand what happened that day if they weren't there. I'm writing this from my eye witness experience so that you can see what it felt like for people and what it looked like from the eyes of a bystander. Do what you will with this, but it has been on my mind since they announced that the case was under way for one of those brothers. People are asking if they are going to ask for the death penalty and so forth. I will be candid with you. I hope they don't. I don't believe in capital punishment and never will. This kid needs help. Give it to him. 

   So that is all I have to say on this. I never wrote about it before because I seamlessly slipped back into campaign life because my other coping mechanism is to throw myself into my work. So now you know.

How I Found Home

Sorry guys, but this has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with me. 

   Growing up I was always a bit of an outsider. I had a hard time finding a circle a friends, partially because I went to five elementary schools and when I did settle down in a school system, it was in a small town where everyone had known everyone since birth. I was a perpetual new kid, which both helped and hurt my social skills. To be honest, in all that moving no where really felt right. I was never really comfortable. I always stood out and was invisible at the same time. That's probably part of the reason I never saw the merits in joining a sorority when I was getting ready to go to college. Sororities were for preppy girls, girls who partied hard, and had lots of money. I was none of those things. I was the girl sitting in class with her nose stuck in a book, who only really spoke up to answer questions in class or to sing in the choir. That did not fit the sorority mold. Or so I thought. 

   When I went off to college at Virginia Wesleyan College I decided to make a change. I am naturally a boisterous, extroverted person and I was sick of repressing that side of me. So I didn't. I walked into VWC on my first day and spoke to the first person I saw. Then I spoke to every person I came across. I found friends amongst the other freshmen as well as the Orientation Staff. My new friends and I ended up hanging out with a few of the SOSers (as they were called) the night of Scene 1 Orientation and that is where I met Lynette and Lisa. They became fast friends of mine and when I came back for Scene 2 we hung out more and more. 

That's Lynette. She's basically my favorite human being.

   During Scene 2 Orientation I really clicked with Lynette and she started inviting me over to her room to hang out with she and her friends. Just so happens those friends were her sisters. To be honest, I was surprised in what I saw. These weren't the bleach blond party girls I had thought sorority girls to be. These were student leaders, artists, writers, scientists, actors, and so much more. Within the first two weeks of my freshman year, I had a new goal. I wanted to join a sorority. Not just any sorority though. These amazing women I had grown to love and look up to were members of Phi Sigma Sigma Fraternity, Inc. I wanted to be a Phi Sig and I refused to be denied. 

My first tagging of the Surf Board.

   The whole first semester of my freshman year I went to every recruitment event. I knew I needed grades to get considered and would need to wait until the next semester, but I wanted to make my interest known. Slowly, but surely, I watched a large number of my friends go Greek. My best guy friend, John, (within the first two weeks of school mind you) accepted a bid from Phi Kappa Tau. Lynette dragged me along to the Bid Card signing for IFC and I got to see him go in all dressed up and then come out looking so excited to announce that HE was going to be a PKT. On top of that, my female friends slowly started going Greek too. Stephanie, a girl on my hall I had bonded with over choir and Hanson, got her bid into Phi Sigma Sigma as we were walking to her room from the bathroom. That was definitely an interesting experience and I was so happy for her. As all this went on I waited. I had friends who were in the same boat. We had to wait until Spring Semester to go through Formal Recruitment because of the credit requirement and we were fine with that because we still got to hang out. 

That's John. Phi's gotta stick together. All the way to graduation.

   I probably spent more time in the then Phi Sig Suite than my own room. It was either movie nights or video games or talking about everything and nothing. I would not change it for the world. They were there for me even when I wasn't a sister when I needed someone. When Spring Semester finally arrived I was SO excited. Minus the fact that I couldn't hang out with half of my friends due to rules that attempt to keep formal recruitment fair. 

Phi Sig Suite Antics (Stephanie, Me, Emily)

   So Formal Recruitment started and I went to parties with each of the sororities for 3 days. Then came Preference Night. I was invited back to Phi Sigma Sigma's pref and I was overjoyed. Though I had enjoyed getting to know women in the other organizations on my campus I knew exactly where I wanted to be. To be honest, I cried during that ceremony. It was beautiful and I got to share with people I had become insanely close with. And then I had to wait. That night my friend, Christine and I, both slept in my room and by slept I mean we actually just stayed up the whole night in eternal anxiety. The next morning we received a call telling us to come to the Student Activities Office in a white shirt to receive our bids. When I walked into that office and opened the envelope to find a bid card from Phi Sigma Sigma I nearly cried, and by cried I mean I jumped up and down and squealed like a crazed school girl. That is still one of the best moments of my life. 

Picture of the Best Moment Ever. (2/9/09)

   The actual best moment came later though. It was when we lined up outside the Bid Day room to be introduced to our new sisters. I was first in line. I put myself there because I could not wait any longer. I walked into that room and I have never felt more wanted or loved than in that moment when 20 or so women that I admired so much rushed at me and hugged me so hard that I wasn't actually standing on my own feet at the time. I will never forget that moment. It is the single most amazing moment of my life to date. That was February 9, 2009. I was initiated into the Wonderful sisterhood of Phi Sigma Sigma Fraternity, Inc. on March 28, 2009. 

That's my Greek Family up top and down below, we rock for Kidneys.

   To this day I will always say that going Greek was my best decision in college. It brought so many things. I became a leader on campus (President of Equality Alliance and Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society 2011-2012). I took part in philanthropy and charity (Rock-a-thon, Special Olympics, Relay for Life, and Marlins Make A Difference Day). I became friends with some of the most amazing fraternity men (Sigma Nu, Phi Kappa Tau, and Kappa Alpha Order) and sorority women (Sigma Sigma Sigma, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Zeta Phi Beta). We made a difference on our campus and we spoke out when we thought it necessary. There were good times and bad. I learned to fight for what I believed in and not allow people's judgements of me change who I am. I learned to be strong in my identity and own my choices. I became the woman that I always wanted to be. The woman that my sisters and the legacy of Phi Sigma Sigma helped form me into. 

My first year as an Alumni.

   Phi Sigma Sigma's open motto is Diokete Hupsula, which is Greek for Aim High. We were founded in New York, New York at Hunter College on November 26, 1913 by a group of women who wanted to be in the same fraternity for women and couldn't because they were not of the same faith. So they made their own, the first secular Greek organization. My founders were suffragettes, teachers, nurses, amazing and inspiring women. 100 years later, my sisterhood is still full of amazing and inspiring women who take life and make it what they want it to be. 

   I found a home with a group of women who accepted me for who I was and am. So, if you are heading off to college, don't count Greek Life out. We aren't all about hazing and cultishness. It's not paying for your friends. It's finding your place, your people. I definitely found mine because

Once a Phi Sigma Sigma, Always a Phi Sigma Sigma.