On attending the Republican National Convention:

My mom and dad have always been a part of politics, so this was my fourth one. When I was seven, the balloon drop was always my favorite part, but now that I’m of voting age, I feel like I’m a part of something, and I could do more.

On Sarah Palin:

Her vigor and strength — makes a great pick for VP. She is smart and ready to lead alongside McCain.

On McCain’s biography video:

It was a full inspiration. My grandpa is 80-plus-years-old and he still flies his airplane and goes to work, age should not be an issue, experience is the factor.

On becoming an alternate delegate:

Regardless of party, anyone over 18 can run for delegate … go through the process, [political] party aside it really is a great experience.

On protesting during the convention week:

It was crazy. It took us 45 minutes longer to get from our hotel to the convention hall. There were human road blocks, nails in the road and rumors about much worse. As for the convention itself, I saw some people yelling inappropriate stuff but not as much as I did at the 2004 convention in New York City.

On the entertainment aspect:

It was awesome. It seemed like there were always parties, and there was always food. I got to see Styx. One of my favorite events— middle aged men dressed in suits, literally rocking out. And I got to see Mike Huckabee’s band. Mike Huckabee in a Hawaiian T-shirt on stage playing bass. It was ridiculous. It was so much fun.

On being active in current politics:

Since my parents are so politically active, people think I am part of Lee Terry’s campaign because of them. I’m not. I work for Lee Terry because I’m genuinely interested. This is what I want to do when I graduate, be involved in politics in some way.

– Compiled by Seth Bair

and Molly Mullen