By Alex Costello
So, in an effort to turn this year's third presidential debate into something more than just a fleeting event, Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz created a program that would make the debate the crowning jewel in something much larger.
The program, known as Educate '08, started in the spring and lasting until the presidential election in November, is expanding the debate by adding lectures, speakers, performances, classes, and more to Hofstra's Fall 2008 schedule.
"All of the programs are, in one way or another, related to the issues, history, and politics of presidential elections," said Stu Vincent, assistant vice president for university relations at Hofstra. "...It's really giving them a history and background."
One of the first events the school had for Education '08 was bussing students to New Hampshire for the state's primaries. "We had them go to as many candidate events as possible, both Democrat and Republican, in the three days leading up to the primary," Vincent said. "And it's gone on from there."
And gone on it has. Education '08 has had panels featuring journalists from Newsday and The New York Times, authors, and politicians. On March 27, Long Island Congressman Steve Israel joined Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester County Executives Tom Suozzi, Steve Levy, and Andrew Spano for a discussion on how to have suburbs and cities work together better to form strong metro areas to help America compete globally. There was a talk with Maureen Dowd and William Kristol, both New York Times op-ed writers, about the 2008 election landscape. George Stephanopoulos, the chief Washington correspondent for ABC News and anchor of ABC's Sunday morning program, "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," also came and spoke at the school. And that is just a small sampling of the myriad of events that have taken place, and the ones that have yet to happen.
The events are not just designed for Hofstra students. While some of the programs are meant specifically for students, many are open to the public.
"In many of the events, the public has made up at least half the audience, especially the big events we've had recently," Vincent said. "We had 600-800 people at some."
And the events have been well-received by the community, as well.
"I managed to get to two of them," said Allison Madwatkins, a Hofstra student who lives in Long Beach. "I went to one about impeaching the supreme court justices, which was a little absurd. It was an interesting view point, but a little absurd."
"I thought it was interesting," said Barbara Dillon, a Rockville Centre native and Hofstra student, of an Educate '08 event she attended. "I think that the programs are terrific for highlighting the importance of students getting involved in the electoral process."
Lectures and presentations are not the only component of the Education '08 program. Hofstra is offering unique classes this semester that tie into the general Education '08 themes of elections, debates, and presidential politics.
"I'm also taking, as part of the Educate '08, 'Voter's Law and Election Law'," said Madwatkins. The courses offered range from basic classes like "American Politics," to more in-depth classes like "From Abigail Adams to Hillary Clinton: Can a Woman Be Elected President of the United States?"
Dr. Meena Bose, a professor of political science and chair of the Peter S. Kalikow Center of Presidential Studies, teaches two classes unique to the Fall 2008 semester because of Educate '08: "The Role of Foreign Policy in U.S. Presidential Elections" and "The Race for the Presidency."
As the Chair of the Kalikow Center, Bose has been involved in many Educate '08 events. "I organized a round table in the spring with presidential biographers on lessons from past presidents," she said. "And then on Sept. 23, we had a round-table discussion on 'Stopping Politics at the Water's Edge: America's Foreign Policy Priorities for the next Administration.'"
Despite its large scope, Educate '08 has been well-received by the community. The programs offered are a way for national politics to be brought directly to those who attend.
"[The Educate '08 programs] have been a tremendous resource for bringing together the students, the faculty, and people from all around Long Island to really reflect on and discuss and debate this presidential race," Bose said. "Now, as we look at the tumult on Wall Street and some real questions about the U.S. economy for the foreseeable future, I think our Educate '08 programs are really bringing people together to discuss these issues and inform the public and get the public involved in understand the challenges of the next administration."
Comments about this story? ACostello@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
