The Carnegie Mellon campus was a popular spot for political figures, activists and demonstrators this fall as the university played host to Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator John Kerry and his running mate Senator John Edwards, Condoleezza Rice, the former national security adviser to President George W. Bush who was recently appointed Secretary of State, and Michael Moore, director of “Fahrenheit 9/11.”
Edwards was the first to come to Carnegie Mellon when he hosted a town hall meeting in the University Center’s Wiegand Gymnasium on Sept. 28. Kerry followed with a huge rally on the College of Fine Arts lawn on Oct. 20, that featured rock star Jon Bon Jovi, Carnegie Mellon alumnus Ted Danson (A’72) who was in town to participate in the Society of Environmental Journalists Conference held at the university, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris and local politicians.
The very next day, Oct. 21, Rice, spoke to faculty, staff and students as part of Carnegie Mellon’s International Relations program’s speaker series. Speaking in the College of Fine Arts’ Kresge Theater, Rice said that the complex problems facing the United States in a post 9/11 world require the kind of interdisciplinary approach Carnegie Mellon is known for. “Problems don’t come in neat disciplinary packages,” she said.
Rice was invited to speak at Carnegie Mellon by Kiron Skinner, an assistant professor of history and political science, and director of the university’s International Relations Program. Skinner was a student of Rice’s at Stanford University, where she was a political science professor and provost before joining the Bush Administration.
Moore spoke to a large crowd in Wiegand Gymnasium on Oct. 26, as part of his national tour to encourage young people to vote in the presidential election. The students’ Activities Board sponsored Moore’s appearance.
“It was very exciting for the university to host so many national figures in the months prior to the election,” said Maureen McFalls, director of Government Relations at Carnegie Mellon. “We were happy our students and the campus community in general had the opportunity to experience the political process in such an up close and personal way.”
“The recent visits to campus by political candidates and lecturers started a constructive campus discourse about political issues that affect students,” said Student Government President Erik Michaels-Ober, who got the chance to meet Kerry and Rice during their campus appearances. “They made students excited about the election, leading to the highest student voter turnout in decades. The large audiences at these events reflect the number of students who are engaged in politics today.”
In addition to getting a bird’s eye view of the political process on campus, several Carnegie Mellon students got some hands-on experience during an October weekend at Case Western Reserve University, where more than 60 students from 15 peer universities from around the country participated in mock Democratic and Republican conventions and a political debate. Michaels-Ober, who led the Carnegie Mellon delegation, said the weekend activities prior to the Vice Presidential Debate at Case Western Reserve gave “the leaders of tomorrow a chance to debate the issues of today.”
Joining Michaels-Ober were fellow students Joe Arasin, Maureen Burns, Mark Egerman, Jean Lester and Nick Scocozzo.
