While seemingly out of character for Matheson, such strategic planning is common at the 51-year-old Democratic gubernatorial candidate's Sugar House office, where the majority of his staffers are in their 20s.

"Our young people really set the tone for our office and our campaign," Matheson said, smiling as he points to a box of cereal and bottle of vanilla flavoring that staffers left on his boardroom table.

"They bring energy, they bring enthusiasm. Their lives are ahead of them, so they represent anticipation."

And political candidates from across the state would agree.

While most upper-level campaign positions are filled by older, experienced workers, students and recent college grads form the energetic bulk of support in nearly all Utah campaigns for federal, state and local elected office.

That runs counter to the "apathetic" label usually given to voters ages 18 to 25.

"They are the exceptions to the rule for that age cohort," said Kelly Patterson, director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University.

"They have so much enthusiasm and energy and interest. If more of that 18-to-25 cohort were like their peers in these campaigns, our political system would look a lot different."

Across town from Matheson's office, seven young staffers for Republican Jon Huntsman Jr. give credence to Patterson's observation.

Sitting at a table in the Huntsman LLC Headquarters - home to one of Huntsman's campaign offices - they laugh, tossing out jokes as they explain why they work long hours for little or no pay on a statewide gubernatorial campaign.

"This is something you can get passionate about and where you can actually make a difference," said Kevin Knight, a University of Utah student and Huntsman field director.

Beside the perks of meeting high-profile people and holding interoffice races on 16 donated scooters, there is "a certain point" to working on a campaign, said Greg Hartley, a U. student and campaign field director.

"It's a rsum builder, but at the same time, I think we're in this to learn and grow."

Cindy Nielson, projects administrator with Utah State University's political science department, agrees. During the past 15 years, she has watched student interns learn essential organization and communication skills while working on campaigns.

This education - picked up while canvassing neighborhoods and talking with potential donors - is critical to a future career and is why many students flock to campaign offices.

"They really see the difference between the parties, and it opens their eyes to the integrity of the people that are running," said Nielson, who has worked with student interns for the past 15 years. "They see that it's a hard job . . . and they are finding that that's the way they get jobs."

Steve Starks, campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, got his current job after working as campaign manager for Nolan Karras, who lost to Huntsman in the Republican primary.

"Nolan kind of took a chance with me," said Starks, 25, "I had interned with [Sen. Orrin] Hatch and was student body president at Weber State, but running a race like that [at the college level] is different from running a gubernatorial campaign.

"It's given me a chance to develop skills I otherwise wouldn't have learned."

But that practical benefit of working on a campaign doesn't mean dedication to issues and a candidate's views are secondary, said Vikash Reddy, a senior at Dartmouth College and an intern on Matheson's gubernatorial campaign.

"I have friends making a ton of money this summer and here I am doing this," Reddy said. "But, it's important. The issues - transportation, education - are important."

That passion about issues, and dedication to the future, said Democrat Paul Van Dam, is a driving force behind his attempt at a seat in the U.S. Senate.

"They're bright, they're good students, they're ambitious and they get the job done," said the former Utah attorney general. "They simply have opened my eyes to the fact that my issues are not their issues - and we are trying to tailor the campaign to speak to younger people as well as to older people."

nwarburton@sltrib.com