Riva Litman, in St. Paul, Minn., for the Republican National Convention, knows how to show her spirit.

"I had five million McCain pins on and a Fox News hat on," she said. "All these bloggers were taking photos of me."

Litman, who graduated from UC Berkeley in May with a double major in political science and history, is a volunteer in the media department at the convention, where she coordinates press interviews with delegates from the California delegation. The convention started on Sept. 1 and ends today.

A former member of the Berkeley College Republicans, Litman spent summer 2007 interning in the White House. Now she lives in Washington, D.C., working for the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute.

When Duf Sundheim, the former chairman of the California Republican Party, told Litman to apply to be a volunteer at the convention, it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.

"I love politics-what more perfect way to participate than at the convention?" she said.

Last week, UC Berkeley students Molly Kawahata and Paula Villescaz served as delegates at the Democratic National Convention.

Litman said she enjoyed seeing Republican superstars such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich around the convention.

"Just being in the Xcel Center is such an exciting and unreal experience," she said.

Last night also showcased Gov. Sarah Palin, who gave a speech as the presumptive Republican vice-presidential nominee.

"There are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change," Palin said.

Litman said Palin's speech was "historic, not only for Republicans, but for America." However, she expressed her disappointment with the media, saying that it has focused on the pregnancy of Palin's 17-year-old daughter.

"We all still believe she was a wonderful pick," Litman said. "I think this has made us lose faith in the media and in the opposition, but it's in no way made us lose faith in her."

Kim Wagner, the interim external vice president of the Berkeley College Republicans, agreed, saying, "I was kind of appalled at the accusations against her."

Wagner said she believes many former Sen. Hillary Clinton supporters will be swayed toward Sen. John McCain now that he has a female vice-presidential nominee.

"I know that gender was a deciding factor," she said. "It's a tougher choice for Hillary supporters."

Despite the excitement surrounding Palin, the event has a different feel with the backdrop of Hurricane Gustav on the Gulf Coast, Litman said.

"Especially initially, everyone here was really vigilant," she said. "We put politics on the backburner, and people are just being very respectful about it."

Litman said many of the parties at the convention became philanthropic events, with one night's goal being to raise $250,000 for the victims.

Back in Berkeley, the Berkeley College Republicans still have not met officially for the new school year or organized viewing parties.

"We tend to focus more on local things especially because it's expensive to travel," Wagner said. "But we have definitely united as a club to support McCain."

Although UC Berkeley is still nationally perceived as liberal, Wagner said students on campus are respectful of those with conservative viewpoints.

"What I've noticed is much of the opposition actually comes from Berkeley citizens, not Berkeley students," she said.

For Litman, the community is even more reinforced by the convention.

"It sort of restored my faith in the political process," she said. "Now, it's a matter of hoping for the best in November-in our perspective, obviously."

Tags: ELECTIONS 2008, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION, SARAH PALIN, NATIONAL ELECTIONS 2008, JOHN MCCAIN, BERKELEY COLLEGE REPUBLICANS