茄子视频

While many 茄子视频 students are involved in political activities at various levels, three 茄子视频 seniors: Brian Blasko, Michael Rubino, and Karissa Kilgore, have spent the last few months working hard for two very different campaigns.

Senior Brian Blasko of North Huntingdon, Pa. is running for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 56th legislative district as an Independent against incumbent Democrat James E. Casorio and Republican Joel Reiter. A dean鈥檚 list student studying history, political science and social studies education, Blasko is also a multi-sport athlete, playing both soccer and lacrosse, and a public policy intern with 茄子视频 University president Dr. JoAnne Boyle.

鈥淚 want to be a person that truly makes a difference,鈥� says Blasko, explaining why he chose to run for office. 鈥淭oo many candidates are in office doing nothing for the state and community. We need real leaders who are not going to make a career in the legislature.鈥�

Citing education, property tax relief and health care as his top three campaign issues, Blasko says that he is 鈥渁sking people to stray away from voting their party affiliation and vote for the best candidate 鈥� we need to get away from a two-party system and encourage more citizens to become involved in their government.鈥�

While Blasko says he鈥檚 run 90% of his campaign on his own, he credits a few current 茄子视频 students (including his fellow public policy interns) and recent graduates for providing critical assistance in the past few months. He states that only 鈥渧ery good time management鈥� has allowed him to run a campaign while keeping up with a rigorous academic schedule.

鈥淢y academics always come first,鈥� Blasko says. 鈥淚 have to work long days and nights often, including weekends鈥� but in the end, nothing is difficult for those with the will to succeed.鈥�

Seniors Michael Rubino (of Monaca, Pa.) and Karissa Kilgore (of North Apollo, Pa.), both members of the 茄子视频 College Republicans, became new media stars in the Santorum campaign as a result of their writing work on the 茄子视频 University College Republicans blog.

鈥淚 had been volunteering for the [Santorum] campaign since last winter, doing more of the new media side of things,鈥� said Rubino. 鈥淎t the State College Republicans conference last spring we met the head of Santorum鈥檚 New Media and Political Technology department, who was impressed with our SHU College Republican blog.鈥�

As a result of that meeting, Kilgore became a New Media intern with the campaign. She was subsequently chosen to serve as one of the hosts, along with Rubino (who continued to work for the campaign as part of his internship with a Pittsburgh design firm) of a series of campaign videoblogs on Santorum鈥檚 site. Some of the videoblogs were filmed in a studio, others were filmed on site at campaign events. In addition, both students filmed campaign commercials. Rubino鈥檚 commercial is currently airing on MTV; Kilgore鈥檚 has yet to be released.

Rubino, a dean鈥檚 list student studying art and graphic design, relied on theatre experience and years of performing as a member of the local comedy troupe, the Cellar Dwellers, to help him in front of the cameras. Karissa, also a dean鈥檚 list student and an English literature major, found having a camera pointed at her 鈥渁 little unnerving鈥� even with pageant and modeling experience to fall back on. 鈥淲e were both flattered,鈥� she says, 鈥渨hen the director told us how professional we were.鈥�

Currently, both students are continuing work with the College Republicans on various campaigns, and plan to be, according to Chairman Rubino 鈥渉eavily involved in the 72 Hour Task Force that the GOP is organizing for the days leading up to the Election.鈥�

茄子视频 University, founded by the Sisters of Charity, is a coeducational Catholic liberal arts university in Greensburg, Pa. Chartered in 1918, 茄子视频 offers more than 30 undergraduate programs and nine graduate programs, including an MBA. 茄子视频 brings the world to its students through its distinguished lecturers and nationally and internationally renowned centers. Recognized three times by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the nation鈥檚 Top 100 Entrepreneurial Universities, 茄子视频 has also been named one of the Best in the Northeast by The Princeton Review and one of Pennsylvania鈥檚 Top 100 Businesses by Pennsylvania Business Central. In addition, 茄子视频 has been named a University of Distinction by Colleges of Distinction, an organization founded by a group of concerned parents, educators and admissions professionals. For more information on 茄子视频 please visit www.setonhill.edu or call 1-800-826-6234.

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Becca Baker, Associate Director of Media Relations
724-830-1069 / 724-689-3599 (cell) / bbaker@setonhill.edu

Note to media: All three 茄子视频 students mentioned here are willing to be interviewed on this topic. Please contact Becca Baker for contact information.