Editor's note: This is another in a continuing series of stories about the University of Delaware’s connections to the 2008 presidential campaign. With a vice presidential candidate in Democrat Joe Biden and campaign managers on both sides--Steve Schmidt with Republican John McCain and David Plouffe with Democrat Barack Obama--the University was recently called the “epicenter” of the presidential race by the Bloomberg news service.
10:42 a.m., Sept. 10, 2008----A University of Delaware student will be an important part of the ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum to be held Thursday, Sept. 11, at Columbia University in New York City.
A question submitted by Chris Lang, a junior triple major in political science, economics and finance, was selected for inclusion in the forum and will be asked of the presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, during the forum.
Lang said his question is, "What kind of initiatives will you propose in your first few months as a president to help instill the values of service and leadership within the citizens of the United States of America?"
Because Lang's question was selected, he was invited to attend the forum and plans to do so. “Upon hearing that my question was selected, I was overcome with excitement and anxiety at the possibility of attending the forum and hearing the candidates,” he said.
Lang said his involvement came in a roundabout manner. During the summer, he received a James R. Soles Fellowship to work in the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.). Soles fellowships honor James R. Soles, Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science, and provide students opportunities to learn about the workings of government first-hand.
“I had an amazing time working in Sen. Carper's office,” Lang said. “Not only was I able to learn and be a part of the daily activities of the Senate, but I also was able to take advantage of the many opportunities on Capitol Hill in the form of speeches, forums, conferences and business meetings. I was able to listen to such speakers as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, and attend forums related to nuclear power and leadership.”
In a highly partisan climate, Lang said it was interesting to “to see senators try to piece together legislation on the issues of climate change, transportation and housing.”
It was while working in Washington that Lang was exposed to a variety of public service organizations, including ServiceNation, a coalition of organizations throughout the U.S. that are dedicated to strengthening the American democracy and solving problems through civic engagement and service.
“I received an e-mail from ServiceNation, one of the organizations which is helping to put on the forum. By getting involved with ServiceNation, I eventually submitted my question, which was related to public service and leadership,” Lang said.
At the forum, Lang said he “will be looking for the candidates to outline a clear place to increase service in the youth of the United States of America,” adding, “There is a large national movement towards involvement in community and public service, and I feel that both candidates should seek to implement a number of policy initiatives to foster that movement.”
The questions during the forum will be posed by moderators Judy Woodruff of PBS's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Rick Stengel of Time magazine.
Article by Neil Thomas