NORMAN — Former U.S. Reps. David Minge, D-Minn., and Nick Smith, R-Mich., hosted an informal discussion and answered questions Tuesday evening from attending students in the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Auditorium of Gaylord Hall.
The discussion headlined a number of similar activities spanning two days, conducted as part of the Congress to Campus program, an educational outreach sponsored by the United States Association of Former Members of Congress in partnership with the Stennis Center for Public Service.
The visit was coordinated by the OU Political Science Club, a student organization.
“(The program) brings us a welcome experience,” said Ron Peters, Regents professor of political science at OU.
According to the FMC website, the aim of Congress to Campus is to provide students and faculty with an intimate understanding of the process and inner workings of the American governmental system and ultimately inspire greater civic involvement and literacy in the country’s youngest voting demographic.
Prior to the evening’s discussion, Minge and Smith spent Tuesday visiting six different classes on campus and interacting with the students.
“You’ll have a tough time getting the opportunities (those from our generation) had,” Smith said, addressing the students at the discussion. “We want to convince students of top universities such as yourselves to be involved in their government.”
The dialogue was engaging and fast-paced, with topics centering on Congress’ low approval rating and its relation to the formidable obstacles facing the U.S. government and the American people as the country struggles to recover from its multi-faceted financial disasters.
Minge and Smith were careful to mention that, contrary to the strife and conflict depicted in TV news, most members of Congress are not as vitriolically divided as is popularly understood.
Approximately an hour of the discussion was devoted to questions from Peters himself, followed by 30 minutes of questions from attending students, which pertained to a variety of topics such as stemming the country’s rising debt, issues with proposed austerity measures and Congress’ apparent relinquishment of power to the executive branch over the years.
Though they politely disagreed on several fronts, Both Minge and Smith emphasized the crucial role that college students, as citizens and future professionals, have to play in these pivotal times.
“Divisiveness and polarity are not new,” Minge said. “We need dedicated civil servants.”
Smith agreed, telling students, “Your ideas of right and wrong are just as good as those sitting in Congress right now. The major difference is that they have a bit more experience.”
Overall, Minge and Smith said they have had a positive experience visiting the university and Norman.
“I’ve very much enjoyed my visit,” Minge said. “Norman is a unique community as the seat of a major university, and the campus itself has some beautiful buildings and a great sense of centrality, which I think inspires a lot of student pride.”
Smith was similarly impressed, calling OU one of the “top universities in the world” and reiterating that, as a competitive and academically advanced university, it is of great importance that OU students make civic involvement and public service a priority.
Caitlin Schudalla 366-3541 cschudalla@ normantranscript.com
