Second UA Student Chosen To Work In Presidential Campaign

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Two University of Arkansas students are on the campaign trail for the next six months as interns in the 2000 presidential campaign. John Ales and Steve Bonds are two of only a handful of students selected to work on the presidential campaigns of Vice President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush, respectively.

Bonds, formerly of Benton, Ark., is taking on the prestigious position of assistant to Kasey Pipes, the senior press release writer for Bush, and Mike Gerson, the senior speech writer.

"Steve is quite obviously an enormously talented writer," said Phillis Miller, faculty internship coordinator for the UA journalism department. "He is also a mature, level-headed young man with tremendous integrity who will represent the University of Arkansas well.

"What an incredible opportunity for both young men. I am confident that they are both fully prepared for the challenges before them."

Bonds is a senior journalism major and an award-winning columnist for the Arkansas Traveler.

Ales, of Baton Rouge, La., is working within Gore's national campaign headquarters. His selection was publicly announced in May.

Ales' first assignment involved work with the recent, record-breaking fundraiser. Checking in with Miller on a regular basis, Ales indicated he has already handled calls from such notable reporters as Wolf Blitzer of CNN and David Gregory of MSNBC news among others.

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Rebecca Wood, University Relations, (479) 575-5555, rmwood@comp.uark.edu