The last month might have undermined her effort to graduate magna cum laude next year in international relations, with a minor in French studies. She estimates that she made 75 percent of her classes but did no homework for several weeks.

The stress has required outside support.

"With the hate mail coming in, I like to call my parents and have them tell me I'm still a good daughter," Bailey said. She told a reporter that if he spoke to her parents, he should tell them she called them the world's greatest.

"I think I'm $300 over on my cell phone bill for last month, and I'm already at my limit for minutes this month," she said with a laugh. "I've never spoken on the phone so much in my life."

It's worth it, she said, because others are talking, too.

"I really love walking between classes and hearing people debating Cheney's policies."

She even thinks the events surrounding Cheney's visit to BYU might help her dating life, in a backwards sort of way. "I've gone on a lot of first dates, and then they found out I'm president of the College Democrats and I never hear from them again," she said.

"Now I think pretty much everyone must know."

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E-MAIL: twalch@desnews.com