MEADVILLE, Pa. – March 27, 2008 – A team from Allegheny College, led by students Christy McShea, Samuel Rigotti and Didem Uca, will be among finalists from six colleges and universities to present legislative proposals at the inaugural Debating for Democracy (D4D) Conference, hosted by Project Pericles on April 3 and 4 in New York City. D4D is a Project Pericles initiative in which students research, advocate and defend their opinions on significant current issues of public policy.
Student leaders from colleges across the nation will articulate their solutions to some of today's most important public policy issues by presenting original legislative solutions to a “legislative committee.” The proposal developed by the Allegheny College team, which also includes students Eric Winter, Jenna Gathmann, Krys Castillo, Scott Gast and Arielle Conti, focuses on energy and the environment.
“This team submitted a remarkable proposal highlighting practical solutions to shortcomings in proposed federal climate and energy legislation,” said Thomas Eatmon, Visiting Scholar in the college's Department of Environmental Science, who advised the team. “I am confident that they will do well at the national conference.”
A number of current and former elected officials have agreed to serve as legislators for the event, including former U.S. Senators Nancy Kassebaum Baker and Harris Wofford, New York State Senator Bill Perkins and New York City Councilman Eric Gioia. Former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, president of the New School, will moderate the event.
The student teams who will be making presentations in the legislative hearing were selected by a panel of experts from a pool of 41 proposals, based on the originality and substance of their proposals. At the event, each team will have 20 minutes to discuss their proposals with the legislators: 5 minutes to present a summary of the proposal and 15 minutes for discussion. At the conclusion of the event, the legislators will select the best proposal.
Project Pericles will provide a $4,000 award to the D4D chapter at the college that submitted the winning proposal. In consultation with Project Pericles, the D4D chapter can use this money to fund advocacy and education activities including lobbying trips and workshops.
“Too frequently, young people feel that they don't have access to forums where they can exercise one of the key components of our democracy: the ability to discuss important public policy issues with elected officials,” said Eugene M. Lang, the founder of Project Pericles. “By creating a forum where Periclean students can actively participate in the democratic process, we hope to encourage students to become active citizens in their community and country.”
In addition to the legislative event, the D4D conference will have workshops on civic engagement and social entrepreneurship led by some of the top leaders in these fields as well as a day-long forum titled “Our Democracy After 2008: A D4D Forum on Three Key Policy Areas.” During this forum, students will have conversations with leading scholars and practitioners on important public policy issues facing the next president and Congress.
About Project Pericles
Project Pericles is a not-for-profit organization, founded by education philanthropist Eugene M. Lang, that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus and in the community.
