NEW YORK--Harvard has long been a nurturing womb for fledgling politicos and power brokers. And judging by the number of Harvard affiliates in attendance in various capacities here in New York, the Crimson political tradition is as strong as ever.

Students and graduates of the University are helping to shape the Democratic National Convention here this week in roles ranging from vice-presidential nominee to "shep-herd."

Former Dunster House resident Albert A. Gore, Jr. '69 will share the Democratic ticket with Bill Clinton in November. The vice-presidential nominee will deliver an acceptance speech shortly before Clinton's speech Thursday night.

Another convention bigwig is Robert E. Rubin '60, chair of the New York '92 host committee. Rubin's committee has been organizing welcoming events for the conventioneers, among them a Broadway Street party and Saturday's media greeting party in Bryant Park. Rubin, who studied economics at Harvard, is co-chair of the investment firm Goldman Sachs and a director of Harvard Management Company. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Harvard Board of Overseers this spring.

Among the more powerful undergraduates here at the convention is James N. Harmon '93-94. One of the 772 "superdelegates" at the convention, Harmon has been pressing the flesh and eagerly issuing invitations to various College Democrats of America parties from his office at Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Hilton. As president of College Democrats of America, Harmon is a member of the DNC and there-fore a superdelegate who can vote for any candidate in tomorrow's first ballot. Other delegates are pledged to vote for particular candidates.

Ethan Zindler '92 is another of the highest placed Harvard students here. An assistant press secretary for the Clinton Campaign, Zindler has coordinated press pools and traveled with the candidate.

This week, Zindler is "filling gaps" in the press office. His name appeared yesterday as the press contact on Hillary Clinton's schedule.

As the campaign progresses, Zindler thinks he will eventually be coordinating some kind of "outreach to younger voters through media," which he sees as an important endeavor.

"We've been heading in the right direction, doing MTV, the Arsenio Hall Show and other things," Zindler said.

Further down the ladder of Convention prestige (which hinges less on impressiveness of job title than on the lavishness of the parties the conventioneer can enter) is Brian J. Shortsleeve '95, a volunteer doing security work. Shortsleeve, who is working in Massachussetts Sen. John F. Kerry's office this summer, was given a blue blazer and told to direct traffic on the convention floor. Sean M. Becker '94 and Neil A. Cooper '91 are also working in convention security.

"It's not a big deal job," Cooper said. He said he hopes to join the Pennsylvania Clinton campaign after the convention.

While most Harvard students working here are attached to the Clinton Campaign or the National Democratic Party, Justin P. O'Brien '94 is with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' delegation. O'Brien is a summer intern with the Massachusetts Democratic Party and says he is doing "general interntype work" at the convention.

"It's crazy, but it's a lot of fun," O'Brien said of the festivities.

As the volunteer convention jobs get less important, the titles become more euphemistic. Jason M. Solomon '93, deputy magazine editor of The Crimson, said he is at the convention as a "shepherd." The job, according to Solomon, has nothing to do with sheep, but involves traveling with Clinton aide Bob Hattoy and making sure he gets to the right places on time.

Down there with the "shepherd" task is "visibility." Amy L. Busch '93 is "in visibility," one might say in coventionspeak. Although it sounds more like an attribute than a job, "visibility" is actually a task here at the convention. Busch's responsibilities consist of making sure the "Clinton for President" signs are not too bunched up in any one corner, but well distributed throughout the convention floor.