Walking into the FleetCenter, Amy Iacoi can’t believe what the Democratic National Convention staff has done to transform the home of the Boston Bruins and Celtics. The team colors, once streaming green and yellow, morph into reds, whites and blues.
The banners, lighting, stage and converted skyboxes leave her speechless. Stepping onto the floor, delegates look up to see presidential nominee John Kerry’s slogan, “A Stronger America,” scrolling around the FleetCenter on TV screens. Maneuverable podiums, a small stadium and a tilted American flag adorn the main stage. Iacoi, a middler criminal justice major, says the flag is tilted because photographers are stationed below the stage looking up — the speakers photographed will always have the flag as a backdrop in the snapshots.
In the afternoon, the population in the FleetCenter brimming, Iacoi and nearly 50 other fellow criminal justice majors suit up to work security for the convention.
“It is really just amazing since the private tour two weeks ago to now,” Iacoi says. “There are so many little things that have been put into making this event be what it is.”
Many eyes focus on the security of this event, the students’ professors and even Dean of the College of Criminal Justice Jack Greene stress during their training period this is the first national event post-September 11.
Iacoi tries to not live her life in fear and enjoy the convention as a celebration in politics, but keeps the prospect of terrorism in the back of her mind.
The first night of the DNC, she is a zone supervisor in charge of five or six volunteers; she makes sure they have a positive yet productive experience at the convention. Iacoi is surprised to hear the volunteers she works with are from all over — Missouri to Texas and also from Massachusetts and from all different backgrounds including teachers, financial advisors and fellow college students.
“We were prepared, I think, for the worst, but everything went fairly smoothly,” Iacoi says.
Outside, the same night, middler criminal justice major Brian McNulty was in “Mag City.” It’s an area composed of about 20 magnetrometers (metal detectors) and 12 X-ray machines. McNulty checks credentials and informs people what they can and cannot take into the convention.
The most tense part of Monday night for McNulty happens when a steady stream of buses arrive at Mag City and drop off “what seemed to be thousands of delegates simultaneously.” McNulty kept the crowd moving and said he never felt the security process was lacking in the tent. He is thinking of going into federal law enforcement when he graduates in 2006, and feels this was a good opportunity to rub elbows with the “feds.”
“It’s good networking,” he said.
While he checked credentials of journalists, guests, VIPs and delegates, he admitted former Attorney General Janet Reno and former democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich, a congressman from Ohio.
McNulty worked Mag City for the rest of Monday night and wasn’t permitted indoors to see any of the speakers.
Inside, Iacoi said seeing the Clintons speak was her favorite part of the night. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and former President Jimmy Carter also spoke.
“President Carter’s remarks about ‘squandering good will and prestige in the world,’ I feel [are] important,” Iacoi says. “Sen. Clinton’s speech was also effective, [President] Clinton’s themes and all [former Vice President] Gore’s jokes about his loss and him stressing every vote counts. The speeches were awesome.”
Also in the FleetCenter Monday night, 22-year-old Gauri Patil, a May graduate of criminal justice, was having a different experience working security. After being led around for four hours without receiving an assignment, she said the event was “ridiculously disorganized.” Eventually she worked for two and a half hours, and at the end of her shift she snuck onto the floor and sat with the Pennsylvania delegates.
“Everyone thought I was a young delegate and I was asked to work on a campaign for a Pennsylvania treasurer,” Patil said.
The next day Patil was stationed to guard a stairwell on the fifth floor which houses the suites where the she said the “rich people are.” While working on the fifth floor, Patil had a conversation with Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, a former contestant on Donald Trump’s reality show, “The Apprentice.” Patil said the TV star complained about being tired and having lots of things to do, such as granting interviews.
Later on that night, Patil overheard on her walkie talkie there were issues on the fourth floor during Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards’ speech.
McNulty, who was stationed on the fourth floor, said it got “especially hairy” when Edwards spoke and the volunteers could not let delegates onto the floor.
As McNulty checked credentials with a female Northeastern volunteer, a large man came up to her and said he had to get down to the floor and there was nothing she could do to stop him. The man barreled his way past her, shoving her out of the way.
“When the fire marshal ordered the floor access completely shut down, I felt that there could have been more security, especially police officers and secret service,” McNulty said. “My volunteer should not have been physically touched by someone trying to get inside to hear someone speak.”
After a night of tighter security Wednesday, McNulty said he was ready to sit down and relax. The volunteers get a 45-minute break, complete with brown-bag suppers. The breaks got cut short Monday and Wednesday nights because the convention was short on volunteers.
McNulty, who turned 21 on Thursday, said he did not plan to spend his first “legal” night out on the town.
His feet were “taking a beating” and as soon as he sat down he felt them swelling and his joints aching.
“I’m so tired right now, I’m looking forward to going to bed,” he said.
The Webster native said he treasured this experience because it reaffirmed why he chose his major and what he wants to do with his life: criminal justice.
