From Worcester to Washington D.C., Clarkies witness historic inauguration of President Barack Obama.

NECN coverage of on-campus reaction

YouTube coverage of student reactions

Posts from Washington D.C.

Harrington Public Affairs Fellow, Sam Reznik, writes from Washington D.C.

January 20, 2009

Well, there was no better way to end the phenomenal experience we 4 Clarkies shared this past week than to cap it off with the most historic event in our lifetimes— the inauguration of our Nation’s 44th (and first African American) President, Barack Obama.

This morning, on my way to the inaugural ceremony, I was stuck for about 25 minutes at the intersection of Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in this enormous crowd that was literally at a standstill, waiting for the gates to the National Mall to open. There must have been anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 people coming from all sides of the street in the intersection and it was impossible to move an inch! One would assume that a crowd numbering in the thousands would easily become rowdy after being in such a tight space for such a long time, but this was not the case. Rather, the mood was very light and complete strangers were introducing themselves to each other and sharing stories. As corny as it sounds, I really feel that this is only the first step in the change President Obama desires. Mutual respect and love for one another, our country, and the world.

As I plan to leave what for the past 10 days has felt like “fantasyland” and head back to reality, I am optimistic that President Obama will usher in a fresh and vibrant atmosphere; an atmosphere that has long been lacking in our country. 

Dec 19, 2008
So far so good! Yesterday we had a great day. Ted Koppel was outstanding, a very shrewd speaker! Dana Perino, Bush's Press Secretary, spoke before Koppel and it was interesting to hear Koppel refute almost 80% of what Perino was saying. Although, Perino's commitment to Bush and the administration was expected. Anyways, Koppel spoke briefly and left about 25-30 min for Q & A (as are most speakers). Most questions for all the speakers have been very eclectic, focusing on media bias, to Obama's transition, to Gaza. Koppel spoke beautifully on Gaza. In response to a question regarding the magnitude of America's relations with Israel, while Israel is bombing Gaza and creating a humanitarian crisis in Gaza Koppel responded that foreign policy NEVER (he place emphasis) occurs or is impacted by a single event. Foreign policies are single threads and events tie these threads together. He continued to say that Hamas must stop hiding behind their citizens and that Israel has been legitimate in the proportionality argument. Anyways, this morning should be a great session, the Pakistani Ambassador is addressing the group and I can't wait to hear how he speaks on the Mumbai events and Pakistan's connection with terrorism. Hope all is well.

Four Clarkies to travel to Washington, D.C., to attend seminar on the Presidential inauguration

Clark University students Janette Ekanem '09, Sam Reznik '09, Drew Silverman '09 and Amanda Gregoire '10 have been awarded Harrington Public Affairs Fellowships to attend a special academic seminar in Washington, D.C. on the Presidential Inauguration, "New Presidential Administration and the Media's Impact on American Politics," from January 10-20. Sponsored by The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, the program combines lectures by faculty and guest speakers; small group discussions; site visits to organizations and embassies; a bus tour of Washington, D.C.; and a number of special events.


Clark's Harrington fellows in the main press briefing room in the State Department

Events

In the Press

Clark Professor Robert Boatright is included in the November 9, 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette post-election feature.

New tactics delivered the youth vote

Clark students and Professors Jeffrey Jensen Arnett and Fern Johnson are included in two post-election features in the November 6, 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Kindred candidate: young people united to get Obama elected
Letdown after Obama's win likely—21-month race leaves many spent

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Clark University President’s Lecture: “Reality-Based Leadership: Putting Ideas into Action”
Thursday, Nov. 13 @ 7:45 p.m.

The Honorable Michael S. Dukakis—former Governor of
Massachusetts and Professor of Political Science,
Northeastern University

Mosakowski Institute Presentation for Faculty and Students: “Deception in the Presidential Campaign”
Friday, Nov. 14, 10:00-11:15 p.m.
Jefferson Academic Center 218

Kathleen Hall Jamieson—Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor
of Communication and Director of the Annenberg Public Policy
Center, University of Pennsylvania

Students speak out

In "The college vote," posted on Oct. 31, Worcester Telegram & Gazette reporter Steve Foskett speaks with students from Clark University and Assumption College about the U.S. election.

Ralph Nader 'blitz' tour stops at Clark

Watch Nader at Clark

In a bid to set a record for most campaign stops in a single day, Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader spoke at the Higgins University Center on Saturday, Oct. 25. The Clark stop is one of 21 appearances planned for Massachusetts, his campaign said.

Difficult Dialogues, Higgins School of Humanities

Election Watch
Tuesday November 4 @ 8:00 p.m.
Dana Commons

On election night, Difficult Dialogues hosted an Election Watch.

What's Behind Your Vote?"
Thursday October 30 @ 7:00 p.m.
Dana Commons

Difficult Dialogues undergraduate fellows—Hannah Caruso '09 and Abhishek Raman '09— convened a conversation on "What's Behind Your Vote?" Students and faculty talked together about what was at stake in the election.

The health of the natural world is the most pervasive aspect of our common wealth; one of the most important issues our next President will confront is climate change. On the evening of the second debate (Oct. 7) between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, a faculty panel examined what the candidates are saying—and what they are not saying— about this critical issue. Panelists and audience engaged in dialogue about the politics of climate change then watched the debate together—complete with popcorn—on a big-screen television in Dana Commons.

The Poetics of Politics? The Persuasive Rhetoric of Leadership
Monday, October 27 @ 7:30 p.m.
Dana Commons, second floor

It is clear to anyone even casting a glance at a televised political rally that its staging and language are intended to evoke success and belief in the candidate. Even audiences scanned by a carefully selective camera percolate with a shiny confidence in their shared future. SunHee Kim Gertz, Professor of English, explored the staging of such performances, rhetorically and semiotically, and put them into their literary context in order to explicate the more subtle examples of persuasive leadership.

The Presidential Candidates and Climate Change
Panel and discussion on the Oct. 7 debate

On point and on the record—Media coverage

Boston Globe Article: Dorm Storming
Clark junior Meagan Covino talks about “dorm storming” in “Home is Where the Vote Is,” a Boston Globe article about voter registration drives on Massachusetts college campuses. Covino was instrumental in bringing Chelsea Clinton and Hillary Clinton to Clark.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette: The Tao of debate
Professor Fern Johnson is interviewed by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in “The Tao of debate.”

Providence Journal: Thinking About a Palin Presidency
Professor Robert Boatright’s op-ed essay, ”Thinking About a Palin Presidency,” appears in The Providence Journal.
Learn about Boatright’s research on campaign financing.

Hillary Clinton, Deval Patrick hold rallies at Clark

Clarknews features

New era of American politics
Five Clark professors examine the landscape of American politics and the roles that race, gender, age, values, media, technology and financial strategy will play in presidential elections.

What Higher Ed Can Learn From the Obama Campaign
An op-ed essay by Richard Freeland, the Jane and William Mosakowski Distinguished Professor of Higher Education at Clark

Walking the walk - Clark students on the campaign trail

Emily Schofield '11, chapter coordinator for Students for Barack Obama, majoring in Political Science:

“We have a Clark University group on the my.BarackObama.com site where students can join and find out about current Obama-related events in the Worcester area. I'm also the chapter coordinator of the Clark U chapter of Students for Barack Obama. We're an all-volunteer group on campus working closely with the Democrats of Clark U to organize phone banks and canvassing events to get out the vote. Right now we're working on making sure everyone is registered and has an absentee ballot if he or she needs one. I've been involved with campaigns since late 2006, when I began volunteering for Obama in my home state of New Hampshire. I staffed the office of the Souhegan Valley Democrats in Milford, N.H., and I was an intern for the Obama for America campaign over the summer.”

Brandon Cohen, a Clark graduate student and IDSC Social Change Fellow, started the Facebook list serve "Clark Students for Obama '08," which boasts membership of more than 300 Clark students and recent alumni. “That's a ton for a school of our size,” he says. “I send out periodic e-mails about events and ways to get involved. … We're sort of a collaboration of the Dems, Students for Obama, and Worcester Grassroots for Obama.”

Cohen started another Facebook group called "Rather than war, I would spend 1.6 trillion dollars on..." It's 664 members dream about what taxpayer money could be spent on if the U.S. wasn't spending it in Iraq.

When he's not working to connect people to politics through social networks, he's canvassing the New Hampshire campaign trail with Congressman McGovern or working on international development projects in Africa. Cohen was in Tanzania and Rwanda during the summer--his fifth trip to Africa--where he was working on a water-harvesting project. There, he witnessed what he called a remarkable fervor about U.S. election news and the Obama campaign in particular. Despite Tanzania’s government being pro-Bush, people there were keenly interested in the Obama campaign, he says.