“Don’t mess with Texas!” is the unofficial motto of Texas. In spite of that stern warning, eleven Patrick Henry College students chose to travel to the Lone Star State last semester to learn about grassroots politics for six weeks. The PHC students-turned-campaign workers set out to put their classroom experience into action.

Freshman Matt Brownfield and senior Kerri Williamson served in a state senatorial campaign office in Wichita Falls. They organized volunteers, wrote telephone call scripts, wrote speeches, coordinated block walks, and distributed campaign literature.

PHC students with Texas Governor Rick Perry.

The other nine students traveled to San Antonio to work with the Texans for Governmental Integrity, a Political Action Committee (PAC) involved in several South Texas races. Kristen Sabella and Dave Shaw, both juniors, were the student team leaders in San Antonio. They coordinated the daily activities for the PAC, which included polling nearly 30,000 registered primary voters in the district, building a web page, conducting research, data entry, deliveries to local newspapers in the district, and a bi-weekly Bible study and daily devotionals.